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Answer ANY ONE of the… (Class 12 English SQP 2023-24, Q13A)

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EnglishCBSE Class 12 · Sample paper, session 2023-24 · 5 marks · Long answer

CBSE Class 12 English sample paper 2023-24: question 13(A)

From the official CBSE sample question paper for 2023-24, section C, question 13(A), for 5 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q13(A) · 5 marks · Long answerCompetency-basedThe Third Level

Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 120-150 words.

In the story, 'The Third Level' by Jack Finney, Charley is obsessed with finding the third level. In an attempt to thrash out whether this obsession is a good quality or a harmful one, Charley's wife expresses her thoughts in a diary entry.
As Louisa, Charley's wife, write this diary entry. Support your response with reference to the story.

You may begin this way:
I have been married to Charley for a few years now and I have always known him to be an intelligent man with an imaginative mind. However, his recent obsession with finding the Third Level has …

Source: official sample paper from cbseacademic.nic.in (PDF). See it in the full Sample paper 2023-24.

Hints

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

Hint 1

Begin with the date and time, then address the diary directly.

Hint 2

Think of what Charley does to reach the Third Level and what Sam says about it.

Hint 3

Give both sides before you conclude, and use details such as the old currency and the Galesburg tickets.

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.

Verified: two independent solves agree and the official marking scheme matchesChecked 2026-11-01

  1. Format and opening (1 mark): Diary entry with date, day and time at the top, and an informal first-person tone. Begin: Tuesday, 10 October, 10:30 p.m. Dear Diary, I have been married to Charley for a few years now and I have always known him to be an intelligent man with an imaginative mind. However, his recent obsession with finding the Third Level has left me quite worried.

    1 mark

  2. Good side (content): On one hand, his obsession shows determination and a lively imagination. Charley has always been curious and has never given up easily, and these are the qualities I admired in him. He says the Third Level is a place of peace and safety, where people still live in 1894, and he talks about it with shining eyes.

    1 mark

  3. Harmful side (content, with reference to the story): Yet he can no longer tell reality from fantasy. He has bought old currency and tickets to Galesburg, and he has kept searching Grand Central station. His psychiatrist friend Sam says it is a 'waking dream' and an escape from the stress and tension of modern life. An escape that keeps him from facing his worries cannot be healthy. It is also costing us money and peace of mind, and he is neglecting his duties at home.

    1 mark

  4. Organisation and expression (1 mark): Logical order: worry, merits, demerits, then a conclusion. Linking words such as however, on one hand, furthermore, finally are used, and the entry is written in a reflective, personal voice.

    1 mark

  5. Conclusion and accuracy (1 mark): Finally, I believe that what began as harmless curiosity has turned harmful. I love him dearly and hope he finds the courage to face the present, and that I can help him do so. The answer stays within 120–150 words, with correct spelling and grammar.

    1 mark

Answer: A 120–150 word diary entry by Louisa that weighs Charley's determination and imagination against his escapism, referring to Sam's view and the Galesburg tickets, and concludes that the obsession is harmful.

Where the marks are

  • Correct diary format with date, time and an informal address (1 mark, format)
  • Presents the positive side: determination and imagination, supported by the story (content)
  • Presents the harmful side: escapism, Sam's view, neglect and money spent (content)
  • Organised, coherent and linked ideas in a personal voice (expression)
  • Accurate spelling and grammar, with a clear conclusion within the word limit (accuracy)

Revise the chapter

  • Chapter: The Third Level (notes, formulas, where marks are lost and every past question)

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