I85PREP
⌘ K
Maharashtra HSC English (MSBSHSE) study materials
Maharashtra HSC English (MSBSHSE) study resources

Maharashtra HSC English (MSBSHSE) practice questions

One question at a time. Build your Maharashtra HSC English (MSBSHSE) understanding.

First 50 of 200 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

Continue in the practice tool above to load more questions, 50 at a time.

Question 1Prose (HSC English)

In the Maharashtra HSC English prose section, which author wrote the essay 'The Cop and the Anthem'?

  1. O. Henry Correct answer.
  2. Ruskin Bond
  3. R. K. Narayan
  4. Anton Chekhov

Explanation

'The Cop and the Anthem' is a well-known short story by the American writer O. Henry, famous for his surprise endings and New York settings. The Maharashtra HSC prose textbook includes it as a representative work of his ironic style.

Question 2Prose (HSC English)

The prose piece 'On Saying Please' by A. G. Gardiner argues mainly about which quality in everyday social life?

  1. The importance of wealth accumulation
  2. The dangers of modern technology
  3. The necessity of strict discipline
  4. The value of courtesy and good manners Correct answer.

Explanation

Gardiner's essay uses the example of a conductor who politely helps a passenger to show how small acts of courtesy smooth social life. He argues that good manners are a form of social virtue, not mere formality.

Question 3Prose (HSC English)

In the prose lesson 'The Kite Maker', the central character's craft is best described as which of the following?

  1. Building and flying kites as a lifelong trade Correct answer.
  2. Selling cloth in a village market
  3. Painting portraits for wealthy patrons
  4. Repairing musical instruments

Explanation

The story centres on the kite maker whose identity and livelihood are tied to making kites. His craft reflects tradition, pride and the passage of time.

Question 4Prose (HSC English)

Which of the following best states the moral message commonly drawn from the prose lesson 'The Gift of the Magi'?

  1. Love shown through sacrifice is worth more than the gifts themselves Correct answer.
  2. Gifts should always be practical and useful
  3. Clever planning always prevents disappointment
  4. Money solves every problem in a marriage

Explanation

The story's irony is that both characters sell their prized possessions to buy gifts for each other, making the gifts useless but the love evident. The narrative values selfless sacrifice over material worth.

Question 5Prose (HSC English)

In the prose lesson 'The Verger', why does the main character lose his position at the church?

  1. He is accused of stealing
  2. He argues with the choir
  3. He arrives late for services
  4. He admits he cannot read or write Correct answer.

Explanation

The verger is dismissed when it is discovered that he is illiterate, which the new vicar considers unacceptable. Ironically, this loss leads him to a far more prosperous life as a businessman.

Question 6Prose (HSC English)

The prose piece 'The Turning Point' is best understood as a lesson about which idea?

  1. Tradition should never be questioned
  2. A single decision can redirect the course of a life Correct answer.
  3. History repeats itself without change
  4. Success depends only on luck

Explanation

The title signals a decisive moment of change, and the narrative shows how one choice or event alters a person's future direction. The lesson invites reflection on how lives are shaped by key decisions.

Question 7Prose (HSC English)

In the Maharashtra HSC prose textbook, which writer is associated with the lesson 'The Boy Who Broke the Bank'?

  1. A. G. Gardiner
  2. Ruskin Bond Correct answer.
  3. R. K. Narayan
  4. O. Henry

Explanation

'The Boy Who Broke the Bank' is by Ruskin Bond, an Indian author known for warm, observant stories. The tale shows how a rumour spreads and causes panic in a small setting.

Question 8Prose (HSC English)

In the prose lesson 'The Kite Maker', the craft of kite making is used by the author primarily to symbolise which of the following?

  1. Tradition and personal dignity Correct answer.
  2. Religious conflict
  3. Political revolution
  4. Rapid industrial growth

Explanation

The kite maker's skill represents a living tradition and the dignity of skilled labour. Through his craft, the story explores continuity, loss and human worth.

Question 9Prose (HSC English)

In 'On Saying Please', Gardiner contrasts bad manners with which of the following?

  1. A mark of high social class
  2. A legal offence punishable by law
  3. A religious duty
  4. A moral virtue that cannot be enforced by law Correct answer.

Explanation

Gardiner points out that bad manners are not crimes the law can punish, yet good manners are a genuine social virtue. The contrast shows that courtesy depends on personal choice rather than legal compulsion.

Question 10Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Gift of the Magi', the irony of the ending depends on which circumstance?

  1. The gifts are stolen before they can be given
  2. The couple buys the same object twice
  3. Each gift becomes useless because of the sacrifice made to buy it Correct answer.
  4. The couple forgets to exchange gifts

Explanation

Della sells her hair to buy a chain for Jim's watch, while Jim sells the watch to buy combs for her hair. Each sacrifice makes the other's gift unusable, which is the source of the story's irony.

Question 11Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Cop and the Anthem', Soapy's plans to be arrested repeatedly fail because of which recurring cause?

  1. He changes his mind at the last second every time
  2. The police never patrol the streets
  3. His attempts accidentally result in good behaviour being rewarded Correct answer.
  4. Winter arrives early and he leaves the city

Explanation

Each of Soapy's attempts to commit a petty offence backfires, and his actions are interpreted as respectable or harmless. This pattern builds the story's comic irony until his final resolve to reform.

Question 12Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Verger', the protagonist's later success in business mainly illustrates which idea?

  1. Education guarantees professional success
  2. Illiteracy is always an obstacle to wealth
  3. A perceived disadvantage can become an unexpected advantage Correct answer.
  4. Churches are the best places to start businesses

Explanation

After losing his job for being illiterate, the verger opens a tobacco shop and prospers, showing that the trait that cost him his post did not prevent success. The story uses this twist to question assumptions about literacy and worth.

Question 13Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Boy Who Broke the Bank', the panic in the town is caused primarily by which mechanism?

  1. A government order closing the bank
  2. A robbery witnessed by many customers
  3. An unverified rumour spreading rapidly among people Correct answer.
  4. A genuine audit revealing missing funds

Explanation

The story shows how a casual remark is repeated and exaggerated until it triggers a run on the bank. Its point is the power of rumour and the credulity of crowds.

Question 14Prose (HSC English)

In the prose lesson 'The Turning Point', the narrative technique most responsible for revealing the character's change is which of the following?

  1. Listing the character's daily routine in detail
  2. Using only dialogue with no narration
  3. Contrasting the character before and after a decisive event Correct answer.
  4. Describing the setting at great length

Explanation

The lesson structures the account around a before-and-after contrast so that the significance of the turning point becomes clear. This contrast is what makes the change in the character meaningful to the reader.

Question 15Prose (HSC English)

Which statement best captures the tone of Gardiner's 'On Saying Please'?

  1. Purely factual and neutral
  2. Lightly humorous yet morally serious Correct answer.
  3. Sarcastic and dismissive of all courtesy
  4. Angry and accusatory

Explanation

Gardiner writes with gentle wit, using everyday examples, while making a serious moral case for courtesy. The tone balances amusement with conviction.

Question 16Prose (HSC English)

In the prose lesson 'The Kite Maker', the author's use of the old craftsman's memories chiefly serves to do which of the following?

  1. Explain the history of a city
  2. Criticise the craftsman's family
  3. Link a personal past to a changing present Correct answer.
  4. Prove that kites are scientifically important

Explanation

The craftsman's recollections connect his earlier life and standing with the altered world around him. This contrast deepens the story's reflection on tradition and change.

Question 17Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Cop and the Anthem', the title's reference to an 'anthem' is significant because the music Soapy hears does which of the following?

  1. Signals the start of winter
  2. Summons the police to arrest him
  3. Awakens his conscience and resolve to reform Correct answer.
  4. Reminds him of a lost fortune

Explanation

Hearing church music, Soapy is moved to reconsider his life and decide to change. The anthem thus marks a moral awakening that gives the story its final turn.

Question 18Prose (HSC English)

The prose lesson 'The Verger' uses the vicar's attitude toward the verger's illiteracy mainly to expose which weakness?

  1. The unreliability of shopkeepers
  2. The verger's dishonesty
  3. The congregation's poverty
  4. Institutional snobbery that values appearance over service Correct answer.

Explanation

The new vicar dismisses a capable servant over a formal shortcoming, revealing how institutions can prize outward qualification over genuine service. The story's irony then exposes the folly of that judgement.

Question 19Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Gift of the Magi', the narrator's closing comparison of the couple to the Magi functions chiefly to do which of the following?

  1. Elevate their simple sacrifice to the level of legendary wisdom Correct answer.
  2. Show that wealth is the true measure of love
  3. Suggest that they made foolish choices
  4. Criticise the tradition of giving gifts

Explanation

By likening the couple to the Magi, the narrator frames their sacrifices as wise and worthy, despite the practical uselessness of the gifts. The comparison transforms apparent foolishness into a sign of deep love.

Question 20Prose (HSC English)

In 'On Saying Please', Gardiner's example of the polite bus conductor is used to support which broader claim?

  1. Bus travel is superior to other transport
  2. Small daily courtesies create the goodwill that holds society together Correct answer.
  3. Politeness is only a professional duty
  4. Conductors deserve higher wages

Explanation

The conductor's kindness is offered as a model of everyday courtesy whose value lies in its voluntary nature. Gardiner uses it to argue that such small virtues sustain social harmony.

Question 21Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Boy Who Broke the Bank', the spread of the rumour best illustrates which principle of human communication?

  1. People distrust all news by nature
  2. Written messages are always more reliable than speech
  3. Rumours die out when ignored
  4. Repetition without verification amplifies false information Correct answer.

Explanation

Each retelling adds certainty and alarm without anyone checking the facts, so the rumour grows. The story dramatises how unverified repetition can produce real consequences.

Question 22Prose (HSC English)

Which pairing of prose lesson and its author is correct according to the Maharashtra HSC prose textbook?

  1. 'The Verger' - Ruskin Bond
  2. 'The Gift of the Magi' - O. Henry Correct answer.
  3. 'On Saying Please' - R. K. Narayan
  4. 'The Boy Who Broke the Bank' - Anton Chekhov

Explanation

'The Gift of the Magi' was written by O. Henry, whose ironic endings are a hallmark of his style. The other pairings in the options link lessons to authors who did not write them.

Question 23Prose (HSC English)

In the prose lesson 'The Kite Maker', the craftsman's attitude toward his work is best described as which of the following?

  1. Indifferent and careless
  2. Purely commercial
  3. Secretive and dishonest
  4. Proud and devoted Correct answer.

Explanation

The craftsman takes genuine pride in his skill and is devoted to his craft, which gives the story its emotional weight. His dedication contrasts with a world that no longer values such work.

Question 24Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Turning Point', the author's use of a first-person narrator mainly achieves which effect?

  1. It hides the narrator's identity completely
  2. It allows the narrator to observe without participating
  3. It makes the personal change feel immediate and credible Correct answer.
  4. It removes all emotion from the account

Explanation

A first-person voice lets the narrator describe the decisive event from within, giving the account intimacy and credibility. The reader experiences the change as lived rather than reported at a distance.

Question 25Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Cop and the Anthem', Soapy's final decision to reform is best interpreted as which of the following?

  1. A clever trick to avoid arrest
  2. A plan to leave the city permanently
  3. A genuine moral awakening that comes too late Correct answer.
  4. A return to his earlier criminal habits

Explanation

Moved by the music, Soapy sincerely resolves to change his life, but the story's ending undercuts his resolve. The irony lies in the gap between his awakening and his fate.

Question 26Prose (HSC English)

In the Maharashtra HSC prose lesson 'The Boy Who Broke the Bank', which detail first sets the rumour in motion?

  1. A washerman tells a customer that the bank has failed Correct answer.
  2. A barber remarks that the bank is short of money
  3. A newspaper prints a report about the bank's losses
  4. The bank manager quietly stops paying wages

Explanation

The rumour begins at the lowest level of the story's gossip chain, when the washerman casually passes on alarming news to a customer. From that small domestic exchange the claim spreads outward and grows, illustrating how unverified talk escalates.

Question 27Prose (HSC English)

In 'On Saying Please', Gardiner argues that the impolite bus conductor deserves criticism mainly because of what?

  1. He makes other people unhappy without any justification Correct answer.
  2. He ignores the rules of the transport company
  3. He refuses to help elderly passengers board
  4. He charges passengers more than the fixed fare

Explanation

Gardiner's central claim is that bad manners are a moral failing because they spread needless unhappiness to others. The conductor's offence is not legal or financial but the gratuitous infliction of unpleasantness on strangers who cannot answer back.

Question 28Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Gift of the Magi', what has Della done with her hair before Jim comes home?

  1. She has hidden it under a scarf to surprise him
  2. She has given it away to a neighbour as a gift
  3. She has had it cut short for a stage performance
  4. She has sold it to buy a chain for his watch Correct answer.

Explanation

Della sells her long hair to a wig-maker so that she can buy a platinum fob chain for Jim's treasured watch. This sacrifice is what makes the ending's irony complete, since Jim has sold the watch to buy combs for her hair.

Question 29Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Cop and the Anthem', where does Soapy hear the music that stirs his conscience?

  1. In the prison chapel during a Sunday service
  2. At a concert hall he has slipped into without paying
  3. From a street musician playing near his bench
  4. Outside a church where an organ is being played Correct answer.

Explanation

Soapy pauses outside a church, and the organ music drifting out awakens memories of his better past and a resolve to reform. The setting matters because the anthem reaches him unexpectedly, not in a place he chose to enter.

Question 30Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Verger', why does the vicar dismiss the verger from his post?

  1. The verger refuses to attend the Sunday services
  2. The verger cannot read or write Correct answer.
  3. The verger has been rude to members of the congregation
  4. The verger has been caught taking money from the collection

Explanation

The new vicar learns that the verger is illiterate and decides that a man in that position ought to be able to read and write. The dismissal is therefore caused by the verger's lack of schooling rather than by any misconduct.

Question 31Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Kite Maker', what has happened to the old craftsman's trade by the time of the story?

  1. It has become more profitable than before
  2. It has been banned by the local authorities
  3. It has been taken over by a large factory Correct answer.
  4. It has been adopted by the town's schools

Explanation

The story sets the old craftsman's handmade kites against the cheap, mass-produced kites turned out by a factory. His trade is being displaced by mechanised production, which is central to the story's sense of loss.

Question 32Prose (HSC English)

Which prose lesson in the Maharashtra HSC textbook presents a narrator who reflects on a personal experience of learning something about human behaviour?

  1. 'The Gift of the Magi'
  2. 'The Cop and the Anthem'
  3. 'The Verger'
  4. 'On Saying Please' Correct answer.

Explanation

'On Saying Please' is an essay in which Gardiner speaks in his own voice, drawing general moral conclusions from everyday incidents he has observed or experienced. The other three titles are short stories told about invented characters.

Question 33Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Gift of the Magi', what does Jim give Della as a present?

  1. A platinum chain for her watch
  2. A warm coat for the winter
  3. A set of combs for her hair Correct answer.
  4. A pair of gloves she had admired

Explanation

Jim sells his watch to buy the tortoise-shell combs Della had long admired. The gift becomes useless once Della has cut her hair, which is precisely the irony O. Henry constructs.

Question 34Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Boy Who Broke the Bank', what finally happens to the bank as a result of the spreading talk?

  1. It merges with a larger city bank
  2. It survives because the manager issues a statement
  3. It collapses as depositors rush to withdraw their money Correct answer.
  4. It is closed by the government

Explanation

The story's climax is a run on the bank: frightened depositors all demand their money at once, and the institution cannot meet the demand. The title's joke is that words, not financial mismanagement, destroyed it.

Question 35Prose (HSC English)

A student claims that in 'On Saying Please' Gardiner values courtesy chiefly because it protects people from physical harm. Which objection best fits the essay?

  1. Gardiner denies that courtesy has any real effect on other people
  2. Gardiner insists that courtesy must be enforced by law
  3. Gardiner is concerned with mental and emotional comfort, not physical safety Correct answer.
  4. Gardiner argues that courtesy is valuable only between close friends

Explanation

Gardner's argument is about the small, avoidable miseries people inflict on one another through rudeness. His examples involve feelings, not injuries, so reading the essay as a doctrine of physical safety misstates its emphasis.

Question 36Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Cop and the Anthem', why does Soapy's attempt to be arrested for disorderly conduct at a restaurant fail?

  1. He apologises and pays for the meal he ordered
  2. He is too well dressed for anyone to believe he is a vagrant
  3. The police officer recognises him from an earlier arrest
  4. The manager has him thrown out rather than calling the police Correct answer.

Explanation

Soapy smashes a window and expects arrest, but the restaurant staff simply eject him without involving the police. The pattern repeats throughout: each plan to reach the warm prison is defeated by some accident of circumstance.

Question 37Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Verger', what is the immediate consequence of the verger's dismissal?

  1. He leaves the town to live with relatives
  2. He opens a small tobacco shop and prospers Correct answer.
  3. He takes a job as a clerk in a bank
  4. He returns to school to learn to read

Explanation

Having lost his post, the verger uses his small savings to start a tobacco shop, and his honesty and industry make it succeed. The story's irony is that the literacy the vicar demanded was irrelevant to his real talent for business.

Question 38Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Kite Maker', the old man's reaction to the factory-made kites is best described as what?

  1. Bitterness mixed with pride in his own craft Correct answer.
  2. Relief that he no longer has to work
  3. Enthusiastic admiration for their cheapness
  4. Indifference to what his customers buy

Explanation

The craftsman feels the sting of losing his livelihood to machine production, yet he still takes pride in the quality of his handmade work. The story balances his grief at change with his dignity as an artisan.

Question 39Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Cop and the Anthem', what makes Soapy's final resolve to reform so painful in retrospect?

  1. He discovers that the church has been closed for years
  2. He realises the anthem was only a recording
  3. He learns that his family has moved away from the city
  4. He is arrested just as he decides to change his life Correct answer.

Explanation

The moment Soapy resolves to abandon his vagrant life, a policeman arrests him for loitering, and he is sentenced to the prison he had been seeking. The irony is that the reform he finally chooses is rewarded with punishment.

Question 40Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Boy Who Broke the Bank', which feature of the townspeople's behaviour most directly explains why the rumour grows?

  1. They distrust all newspapers and official notices
  2. They dislike the bank manager personally
  3. They repeat the story without checking whether it is true Correct answer.
  4. They are all depositors with large accounts

Explanation

Each person in the chain passes the news along without verifying it, and each retelling adds alarm. The story shows how an unexamined claim can gather authority simply through repetition.

Question 41Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Gift of the Magi', what does the narrator mean by calling Jim and Della 'the magi'?

  1. They possess magical powers that solve their problems
  2. They have travelled from a distant country to bring gifts
  3. They are foolish because they wasted their possessions
  4. They are wise because they give sacrificially to each other Correct answer.

Explanation

The comparison to the Magi, the wise men who brought gifts, elevates the couple's mutual sacrifices into a form of wisdom. Their presents prove useless, yet the love behind them is what the narrator praises.

Question 42Prose (HSC English)

In 'On Saying Please', Gardiner suggests that a person who is habitually rude is comparable to what?

  1. A soldier who disobeys orders in battle
  2. A merchant who cheats his customers
  3. A teacher who fails to prepare lessons
  4. A driver who injures others through carelessness Correct answer.

Explanation

Gardiner likens bad manners to a kind of moral carelessness that causes injury to others, much as a careless driver does. The comparison works because both involve harm inflicted without malice or even awareness.

Question 43Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Verger', how does the story treat the relationship between education and success?

  1. It argues that literacy is essential to any real achievement
  2. It suggests that success depends entirely on luck
  3. It shows that practical ability and honesty can succeed without schooling Correct answer.
  4. It claims that educated people always make better businessmen

Explanation

The verger's illiteracy costs him his church post, yet his honesty and good sense make his shop thrive. The story thus questions the assumption that formal education is the only route to a worthwhile life.

Question 44Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Kite Maker', what does the craftsman's memory of past festivals most likely emphasise?

  1. The superiority of modern factory methods
  2. The unreliability of the craftsman's memory
  3. The loss of a way of life valued for skill and tradition Correct answer.
  4. The indifference of children to all toys

Explanation

The old man's memories contrast a time when handmade kites were treasured with the present dominance of cheap factory products. His nostalgia underlines what is lost when a craft gives way to mass production.

Question 45Prose (HSC English)

A student argues that in 'The Cop and the Anthem' Soapy wants to go to prison purely because he enjoys breaking the law. Which reading of the story best corrects this?

  1. He believes prison will teach him a useful trade
  2. He wants the warmth and food that prison provides during winter Correct answer.
  3. He hopes to meet old friends who are serving sentences there
  4. He is seeking revenge on the policeman who once arrested him

Explanation

Soapy's schemes are driven by the practical need for shelter and regular meals in the cold season, not by any appetite for crime. The story's irony depends on his wanting comfort, not wrongdoing.

Question 46Prose (HSC English)

Which statement best explains why 'The Boy Who Broke the Bank' uses a chain of ordinary townspeople rather than a single liar?

  1. It demonstrates that rumours die out unless a leader repeats them
  2. It shows that panic can arise without any deliberate deception at all Correct answer.
  3. It proves that only uneducated people spread false news
  4. It suggests that the bank was genuinely insolvent from the start

Explanation

No character sets out to destroy the bank; each simply repeats what he has heard with added alarm. The structure of the story therefore locates the danger in uncritical transmission rather than in a villain's plot.

Question 47Prose (HSC English)

Gardiner's argument in 'On Saying Please' implies which view of the small courtesies of daily life?

  1. They are mere social conventions with no ethical content
  2. They matter only when the other person notices them
  3. They should be replaced by formal written rules of conduct
  4. They have real moral weight because they shape others' happiness Correct answer.

Explanation

For Gardiner, small acts of politeness or rudeness carry genuine moral significance because they affect how others feel. He treats courtesy as a duty owed to strangers, not as an optional ornament of behaviour.

Question 48Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Gift of the Magi', why is it significant that neither Jim nor Della regrets the exchange after the gifts prove useless?

  1. It shows that the value of the gifts lies in the love they express, not in their usefulness Correct answer.
  2. It indicates that the narrator disapproves of their extravagance
  3. It proves that the couple did not really understand each other's needs
  4. It suggests that they will return the gifts and recover their money

Explanation

The gifts cannot be used, yet the couple's affection is undiminished, which is exactly the point the narrator praises. The story measures the presents by the sacrifice behind them rather than by their practical value.

Question 49Prose (HSC English)

In 'The Verger', the vicar's decision is presented as a criticism of which attitude?

  1. The assumption that respectability requires formal schooling Correct answer.
  2. The idea that church posts should be well paid
  3. The belief that honesty matters more than qualifications
  4. The view that small businesses deserve encouragement

Explanation

The vicar assumes that a man in the verger's position must be able to read and write to be respectable, and he acts on that assumption without considering the verger's actual merits. The story exposes the narrowness of equating worth with schooling.

Question 50Prose (HSC English)

Which pairing of a Maharashtra HSC prose lesson with its central concern is most accurate?

  1. 'The Kite Maker' - the conflict between craftsmanship and mechanised production Correct answer.
  2. 'On Saying Please' - the legal penalties for rudeness
  3. 'The Verger' - the difficulty of learning to read in adulthood
  4. 'The Cop and the Anthem' - the reform of the prison system

Explanation

'The Kite Maker' centres on an old artisan whose handmade trade is displaced by factory production, making craftsmanship versus mechanisation its core concern. The other pairings attach to each lesson a theme it does not actually develop.