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Amanda and Valli both… (Class 10 English 2025, Q10a)

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EnglishCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2025, set 2/1/1 · 6 marks · Long answer

CBSE Class 10 English 2025: question 10(a)

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2025, paper 2/1/1, section C, question 10(a), for 6 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q10(a) · 6 marks · Long answerAmanda!

Amanda and Valli both represent a longing for freedom. Examine the above observation with reference to the two texts.
(Amanda and Madam Rides the Bus)
Answer in 100–120 words.

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2025 board paper, set 2/1/1.

Hints

Open one hint at a time and try again before the next.

Hint 1

Think about what each character wants and what stops her.

Hint 2

Compare how Amanda's freedom is imagined and how Valli's is achieved.

Hint 3

Keep to 100-120 words and end with a concluding line.

Step-by-step solution

Each step shows the marks it earns, as an examiner would award them. Checked by an independent re-solve from the question paper.

  1. Introduction: Amanda and Valli both long for freedom from the control of their surroundings.

    1 mark

  2. Amanda: In the poem, Amanda is constantly nagged by her mother with instructions about posture, nails and food. She dreams of being a mermaid, an orphan or Rapunzel, living free and alone. Excessive control makes children irritable and they escape into fantasy.

    2 marks

  3. Valli: In 'Madam Rides the Bus', eight-year-old Valli has no friends and is fascinated by the bus journey between her village and the city. She saves money for the fare and plans the trip carefully, finally riding it alone, exploring the wider world.

    2 marks

  4. Conclusion: Amanda only imagines freedom, but Valli acts to gain it. Both show that children need space to grow.

    1 mark

Answer: Amanda dreams of freedom from parental control, whereas Valli actively fulfils her wish to explore the world by riding the bus.

Where the marks are

  • Content: three relevant value points, at least one from each text (3 marks)
  • Expression and coherence (2 marks)
  • Accuracy of grammar, spelling and punctuation (1 mark)

Revise the chapter

  • Chapter: Amanda! (notes, formulas, where marks are lost and every past question)
Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from Amanda!, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paper2025 board paper, set 2/1/1: every question, by section.

The question is transcribed from the official paper; figures are described in words. The solution, hints and chapter tag are ours. Spotted an error? Write tosupport@questionbuddy.in.