Class 11th and 12th are regarded as quite crucial and a major turning point in a student’s life. These two years decide the line of a student’s career path. Class 11th is your gateway to class 12th which is, in turn, the gateway to your college and, finally paves way for a successful career. As such, building a proper base in your subjects in class 11 will help you score good marks in class 12.
Students should therefore set their priorities straight and buckle up to accomplish their goals. Often, students tend to ignore English as a subject, as they prefer other subjects to study over it. English is a subject that can make or break your percentage and your overall score in both your internal exams as well as your board exams. Giving proper attention to English, both the grammar portion as well as the literature part is important too. To score high, it is important for students to get familiarized with the weightage of each topic, and the question paper pattern. It is important to prepare according to the pattern and know the effective strategy for preparation. Without a proper strategy, students might find themselves under tremendous pressure and might not be able to perform well in the exams.
Thus, reference books play an important role in your school life, especially in classes 11 and 12; if you have the right study material and you study according to it, you will definitely ace any subject. Hence, having access to the best reference books for Class 11 English is a must for every student. So, on that note, we have curated a list of the best reference books for the class 11th English exam.
NCERT Books for Class 11 English
The National Council of Educational Research and Training publishes Class 11th English textbooks, which are known for their thoroughly revised and updated syllabus. These books are based on the latest CBSE syllabus and exam pattern.
NCERT also publishes books with mock questions papers and exemplar questions each year. With a detailed presentation of the syllabus, NCERT Books Class 11 English Snapshot and Hornbill can help students significantly in achieving high scores.
NCERT Books for Class 11 English include:
- Hornbill (Core Course)
- Lesson 1: The Portrait of a Lady
- Lesson 2: We’re Not Afraid to Die… if We Can All Be Together
- Lesson 3: Discovering Tut: The Saga Continues
- Lesson 4: Landscape of the Soul
- Lesson 5: The Ailing Planet: The Green Movement’s Role
- Lesson 6: The Browning Version
- Lesson 7: The Adventure
- Lesson 8: Silk Road
- NCERT Book for Class 11 English, Snapshots – Supplementary reader
- Chapter 1: The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse
- Chapter 2: The Address
- Chapter 3: Ranga’s Marriage
- Chapter 4: Albert Einstein at School
- Chapter 5: Mother’s Day
- Chapter 6: The Ghat of the Only World
- Chapter 7: Birth
- Chapter 8: The Tale of Melon City
Reference Books
Other than the NCERT books, you can refer to BSE Chapter wise/Topic Wise Question Bank by Oswaal Publications, and Wren and Martin for English grammar.
Sample Papers & Previous Year Question Papers.
Class 11th English sample papers and previous year’s question papers are readily available on the market and on various websites. Any student can easily access these papers, and practice them on a regular basis. These papers will help you get an idea of the exam pattern and would help you understand the kind of questions that might be asked.
Other than referring to the best study material, you should also follow the right approach to solve your English paper. Here are some ways to do that:
1. The English Class 11th exam consists of four sections that need to be targeted with individual strategies. Here’s how you can prepare for all four sessions, and the kind of material that you can use for your preparation.
- Comprehension
This section consists of two unseen passages and questions based on it. It aims at testing your reading and comprehension skills. Go through the paragraph, then the questions, and attempt them carefully. The reading section can only be enhanced by taking up the habit of reading. Avid readers tend to score more in this section, due to their enhanced comprehension skills. As such, make sure you indulge in reading as part of your hobby and practice several passages before appearing for your final exam.
- Writing Section
This section is aimed at checking the writing skills of the child, in addition to their creative thinking. It contains several writing tasks including notice writing, report, writing, email, letter writing, or essay. Now writing can only be aced with thorough practice. So, make sure that you practice writing skills regularly. Additionally, make sure you remember the format correctly. Also, proofread your writing before moving on. You can get writing exercises in various sample papers, and on online resources.
- Grammar
Grammar mostly consists of fill in the blanks type of questions, which is based on conventions and rules, which can be mastered only by practice. You can refer to grammar books like Wren & Martin, and others for preparing for this section, and for enhancing your grammar in general.
- Literature
The NCERT literature books should be ample for preparing for this section. These books contain prose and poems and the questions asked in the exam will be based entirely on your NCERT. Go through all the texts carefully, and highlight important details. Get sticky notes to jot down important details, vocabulary, and more and stick them in your book. Focus on character sketches, plot, and important incidents as most of the questions are mostly based on these.
As such, if you were fretting about the class 11th English exam, you shouldn’t anymore. Equip yourself with the above-mentioned reference material, and you’ll be good to go. Make sure you read the NCERT and practice ample sample papers to get an idea of the exam pattern. Also, study in a disciplined manner, as only then will you be able to get good scores in this exam!
