Class 9 2023-24 English syllabus ICSE: the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) is the examination conducted by the CISCE board. It is a well-known educational board in India that affiliates hundreds of schools. English is a compulsory subject that students study in ICSE. The syllabus of this subject is categorised into Paper 1 and Paper 2. Let us take a detailed look at the syllabus. Before that, it is important to discuss the different aims of CISCE that depend on the ICSE English syllabus.
ICSE English Syllabus Aims:
- To develop and integrate the use of the four language skills i.e. listening, speaking, reading and writing for the purpose of effective communication.
- To develop a functional understanding of the grammar, structure and idiom of the language.
- To develop the capacity to read efficiently and access information effectively.
- To develop an appreciation of good literature.
- To experience, through literature, the thoughts and feelings of the peoples of the world.
ICSE English Syllabus Class 9 2023-24:
- DRAMA: THE MERCHANT OF VENICE
(Shakespeare’s unabridged play by A.W. Verity): Acts 1 & 2
TREASURE TROVE - A Collection of ICSE Poems and Short Stories (Evergreen Publications)
- POETRY:
(i) The Heart of the Tree – Henry Cuyler Bunner
(ii) The Cold Within–James Patrick Kinney
(iii) The Bangle Sellers – Sarojini Naidu
(iv) After Blenheim – Robert Southey
(v) Television – Roald Dahl
- PROSE (Short Stories):
(i) Chief Seattle’s Speech
(ii) Old Man at the Bridge – Ernest Miller Hemingway
(iii) A Horse and Two Goats – R.K. Narayan
(iv) Hearts and Hands – O. Henry
(v) A Face in the Dark – Ruskin Bond
Exam Pattern for Paper 1 & Paper 2:
PAPER 1 - ENGLISH LANGUAGE
- Maximum marks:80 Marks
- Time allocated: 2 hours
- Internal assessment - 20 Marks
- All questions will be compulsory.
| Question 1 | Candidates will be required to write a composition of about 300– 350 words from a choice of subjects which will test their ability to: organise, describe, narrate, report, explain, persuade or argue, and present ideas coherently with accuracy and precision, compare and contrast ideas and arrive at conclusions, present relevant arguments and use correct style and format. The subjects will be varied and may be suggested by language or by other stimuli such as pictures. The subjects will be so chosen so as to allow the candidates to draw on first-hand experience or to stimulate their imagination. With one subject, a number of suggestions about the content of the composition will be given, but the use of the suggestions will be optional and a candidate will be free to treat the subject in any way that he/she chooses. The organisation of subject matter, syntax, punctuation, the correctness of grammatical constructions and spelling will be expected to be appropriate to the mode of treatment required by the subject. |
| Question 2 | Candidates will have to write a letter from a choice of two subjects requiring either a formal or an informal mode of treatment. Suggestions regarding the content of the letter may be given. The layout of the letter with address, introduction, conclusion, etc., will form part of the assessment. Special attention must be paid to the format of the letter with emphasis on vocabulary appropriate to the context |
| Question 3 | Candidates will be given a specific situation and will be required to: (a) Write the text for a notice based on given directions. (b) Write an e-mail on the same content as the notice |
| Question 4 | An unseen prose passage of about 450 words will be given. Uncommon items of vocabulary, or structure will be avoided. One question will be set to test vocabulary. Candidates will be required to show an understanding of the words/phrases in the context in which they have been used. A number of questions requiring short answers will also be asked on the passage. These questions will test the candidates’ ability to comprehend the explicit content and organisation of the passage and to infer information, intention and attitude from it. The last question will consist of a summary that will test the candidates’ ability to distinguish main ideas from supporting details and to extract salient points to re-write them in the form of a summary. Candidates will be given clear indications of what they are to summarise and of the length of the summary. |
| Question 5 | There will be a number of short answer questions to test the candidates' knowledge of functional grammar, structure and use of the language. All the items in this question will be compulsory. They will consist of correct use of prepositions, verbs and transformation of sentences. |
PAPER 2 - LITERATURE IN ENGLISH
- Maximum marks:80 Marks
- Time allocated: 2 hours
- Internal assessment - 20 Marks
Candidates will be required to answer questions from the prescribed textbooks, which include Drama, Prose (Short Stories) and Poetry.
| Drama and Prose (Short Stories) | Questions set will be central to the text. Candidates will be required to show that they have understood the passage and are able to clearly give their interpretation of the questions set, which should be in their own words and relevant to the text. Excerpts may be given from the drama and prose texts leading to questions on the specific book. |
| Poetry | A poem, or passages from poems, will be given and questions will be set to test the candidates’ response to the poem. The questions will focus on the content, understanding and personal response of candidates to the poem as a whole. |
Find the complete syllabus for English Papers 1 and 2 from the link below. The pdf comprises the combined syllabus for ICSE classes 9 and 10.
NOTE: The Class IX Examination is to be conducted on the portion of the syllabus that is prescribed for Class IX
| ICSE Class 9 English Syllabus 2023-24: Download PDF |
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