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Compare and contrast… (Class 10 English 2026, Q11a)

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EnglishCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2026, set 2/2/1 · 6 marks · Long answer

CBSE Class 10 English 2026: question 11(a)

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2026, paper 2/2/1, section C, question 11(a), for 6 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q11(a) · 6 marks · Long answerA Triumph of Surgery

Compare and contrast Tricki's condition before and after his stay at the surgery. How does this contrast help in understanding the role of proper care, discipline and environment in ensuring Tricki's well-being? (A Triumph of Surgery)

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2026 board paper, set 2/2/1.

Hints

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

Hint 1

Describe Tricki's appearance and behaviour when he arrived.

Hint 2

Describe how he looked and behaved when he left.

Hint 3

Explain which changes in diet, exercise and company caused this.

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. Before the surgery Tricki was hugely fat, like a bloated sausage. His eyes were bloodshot and rheumy, he moved lethargically, suffered from vomiting and had trouble breathing because he was overfed.

    1 mark

  2. After his stay he became a lithe, hard-muscled animal, active, glossy and shiny, alert and excited.

    1 mark

  3. The contrast shows what proper care did: a controlled diet and no overfeeding replaced Mrs Pumphrey's pampering.

    1 mark

  4. Discipline through regular exercise helped him lose weight. The environment helped too: he played with other dogs, fought for his meals and joined friendly scrimmages.

    1 mark

  5. So care, discipline and a healthy environment restored his health and happiness.

    1 mark

  6. The answer is well organised, uses comparison words and is accurate, within 100-120 words.

    1 mark

Answer: Tricki changed from a bloated, lethargic, unhealthy dog to a lithe, active and healthy one through controlled diet, exercise and a social environment.

Where the marks are

  • Three content points: before, after and role of care (3 marks)
  • Expression (2 marks)
  • Accuracy (1 mark)

Revise the chapter

Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from A Triumph of Surgery, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paper2026 board paper, set 2/2/1: 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.