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Read the following extract… (Class 12 English 2026, Q7a)

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EnglishCBSE Class 12 · Board exam 2026, set 301/5/1 · 6 marks · Case-based

CBSE Class 12 English 2026: question 7(a)

Set in the CBSE Class 12 board exam of 2026, paper 301/5/1, section C, question 7(a), for 6 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q7(a) · 6 marks · Case-basedCompetency-basedMy Mother at Sixty-six

Read the following extract and answer the questions:

Driving from my parent's
home to Cochin last Friday
morning, I saw my mother,
beside me,
doze, open mouthed, her face
ashen like that
of a corpse and realized with
pain
that she was as old as she looked …
(My Mother at Sixty-six)

  1. (i)

    What underlying concern does the poet have while recalling the memory of the drive with her mother?

    1. (A)A reflection on the irreversible passage of time and looming mortality
    2. (B)A moment of nostalgia for shared childhood memories
    3. (C)A comparative portrayal of mother as youthful and old
    4. (D)A symbolic reference to the generational divide between them
    1 mark
  2. (ii)

    What does the phrase 'ashen like that of a corpse' suggest about the mother's frailty?

    1 mark
  3. (iii)

    Complete the following suitably:
    The image of the mother like 'a corpse' and the subsequent realisation symbolizes __________.

    1 mark
  4. (iv)

    Select the correct option from those given in brackets, to fill in the blank.
    The speaker's use of the word 'doze' suggests that the mother was __________. (pained/exhausted)

    1 mark
  5. (v)

    Why has the poet placed the word 'pain' in a separate line?

    1 mark
  6. (vi)

    Read the assertion and the reason below, with reference to the given extract. Choose the correct interpretation of the following.
    Assertion : The poet attempts to mentally shield herself from her mother's physical decline.
    Reason : She is emotionally unprepared to confront the inescapable reality of her mother's ageing.
    Choose the correct option :

    1. (A)The assertion is supported but the reason is ambiguous.
    2. (B)The assertion lacks clarity, while the reason is clearly expressed.
    3. (C)Both the assertion and the reason are strongly implied in the text.
    4. (D)Neither the assertion nor the reason can be supported by the text.
    1 mark

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2026 board paper, set 301/5/1.

Hints

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

Hint 1

Think about what an ashen, corpse-like face reminds the poet of.

Hint 2

Why might a single word sit alone on a line? It draws attention to it.

Hint 3

For (vi), ask whether the poet really faces her mother's ageing at once, or avoids it.

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. (i) (A) The memory of the drive reflects on the irreversible passage of time and looming mortality.

    1 mark

  2. (ii) The phrase suggests approaching death: the mother looks pale, lifeless, weak and aged.

    1 mark

  3. (iii) The image and the realisation symbolise the approaching death of the mother and the inevitability of mortality.

    1 mark

  4. (iv) exhausted. Her dozing with an open mouth shows tiredness and frailty, not pain.

    1 mark

  5. (v) The word stands alone to emphasise the poet's deep emotional hurt and the difficulty of accepting her mother's decline and nearness to death.

    1 mark

  6. (vi) (C) Both are strongly implied: she looks away from her mother's ageing (later at the young trees and children) and is unprepared to face it.

    1 mark

Answer: (i) A; (ii) approaching death/frailty; (iii) approaching death/mortality; (iv) exhausted; (v) to emphasise her pain; (vi) C

Where the marks are

  • (i) option A (1 mark)
  • (ii) approaching death/ageing (1 mark)
  • (iii) approaching death/transience of life (1 mark)
  • (iv) exhausted (1 mark)
  • (v) to highlight emotion (1 mark)
  • (vi) option C (1 mark)

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