ICS (Intermediate in Computer Science) English (Compulsory) Syllabus

English (Compulsory) syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for English (Compulsory) in ICS (Intermediate in Computer Science), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Book III - Prose and Plays

   3 topics

   • Short Stories and Essays
   • One-Act Plays
   • Comprehension and Reference to Context
2. 2

   Poems

   2 topics

   • Explanation and Central Idea
   • Poetic Devices
3. 3

   Grammar and Composition

   4 topics

   • Tenses and Sentence Structure
   • Active and Passive Voice
   • Direct and Indirect Narration
   • Punctuation and Correction of Sentences
4. 4

   Writing Skills

   5 topics

   • Essay Writing
   • Letters and Applications
   • Story Writing
   • Pair of Words
   • Idioms and Translation

English (Compulsory) flashcards for ICS (Intermediate in Computer Science)

21 of 51 cards from the English (Compulsory) deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In a short story, what is the term for the struggle between opposing forces that drives the plot?

   Conflict — it can be internal (within a character) or external (character vs. another character, society, or nature).

2. What is the 'theme' of a short story or essay?

   The central idea, message, or underlying meaning that the writer wants to convey to the reader.

3. Define an 'essay' as a literary form.

   A short piece of non-fiction prose in which a writer discusses a single subject, expressing personal thoughts, arguments, or reflections.

4. What are the two broad classifications of essays based on style?

   Formal (serious, impersonal, structured) and informal/familiar (personal, conversational, light in tone).

5. What is a 'one-act play'?

   A short drama complete in a single act, with a single setting, few characters, and one main situation or conflict resolved within that act.

6. In drama, what is meant by 'dialogue'?

   The conversation between characters through which the action, plot, and characterization of a play are revealed.

7. What are 'stage directions' in a play?

   Instructions in the script (usually in italics or brackets) describing setting, characters' actions, movements, tone, or exits and entrances.

8. In drama, what is a 'soliloquy'?

   A speech in which a character, alone on stage, speaks their thoughts aloud to reveal inner feelings to the audience.

9. What does 'Reference to Context' (R.C.) require a student to do?

   Identify the source (book/poem and author) of a given passage and explain its meaning, setting, and significance within the text.

10. What is 'comprehension' in English exams?

    Reading a given passage and answering questions to show understanding of its meaning, ideas, and vocabulary.

11. When answering comprehension questions, why should answers be in your own words?

    To demonstrate genuine understanding rather than mere copying; lifting full sentences from the passage usually loses marks.

12. What is the difference between 'explanation' and 'central idea' of a poem?

    Explanation discusses the meaning line by line or stanza by stanza; central idea sums up the poem's main message in a few sentences.

13. What is a 'poetic device'?

    A technique a poet uses to create rhythm, imagery, or meaning, such as simile, metaphor, alliteration, or personification.

14. Define 'simile' and give its signal words.

    A comparison between two unlike things using 'like' or 'as' (e.g., 'as brave as a lion').

15. Define 'metaphor'.

    A direct comparison stating one thing IS another, without 'like' or 'as' (e.g., 'He is a lion in battle').

16. Define 'personification'.

    Giving human qualities, feelings, or actions to non-human things or abstract ideas (e.g., 'The wind whispered').

17. Define 'alliteration'.

    The repetition of the same initial consonant sound in closely placed words (e.g., 'wild and windy').

18. What poetic device is 'the repetition of vowel sounds within words' called?

    Assonance (e.g., 'the rain in Spain').

19. Define 'hyperbole'.

    A deliberate exaggeration used for emphasis or effect, not meant literally (e.g., 'I've told you a million times').

20. Define 'onomatopoeia'.

    The use of words that imitate the natural sounds they describe (e.g., 'buzz', 'hiss', 'crash').

21. What is 'rhyme scheme' and how is it marked?

    The pattern of rhyming lines in a poem, labelled with letters such as ABAB or AABB for matching end sounds.

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