CBSE Syllabus for Class 6 English 2025–26
English is not a school subject to be passed—it's your instrument for communicating ideas, unearthing stories, and connecting with the world. From exciting poems to reflective prose, Class 6 English presents you with all sorts of reading, writing, and grammar experiences.
The 6th English class textbook provides a strong foundation in reading, creativity, and communication skills that are essential not- only for exams but also for life beyond school. Whether you aim to secure the highest grades or simply need to improve your fluency, this book will guide you through the updated CBSE syllabus, chapter segmentation, internal examinations, and effective study techniques.
1.0Overview of CBSE Syllabus for Class 6 English
The CBSE Class 6 English syllabus is divided into three main sections and two literature books. These sections are:
- Section A — Reading Comprehension
- Section B — Grammar and Creative Writing
- Section C — Literature
- Honeysuckle (Main Reader)
- A Pact with the Sun (Supplementary Reader)
Each of these sections is structured to strengthen your command over reading, grammar, and writing skills in English. The students will be evaluated based on two-term end examinations with a weightage of 80 marks each, while 20 marks are reserved for internal assessments to evaluate the overall performance of a student throughout the year.
2.0CBSE Section-Wise Syllabus for Class 6 English
3.0Detailed CBSE Class 6 English Syllabus PDF
Section A — Reading Comprehension
This section aims to develop students' ability to comprehend various types of texts and infer information.
- Unseen Passages:
- Factual Passage: A passage presenting facts, data, or information.
- Discursive Passage: A passage that presents an argument, opinion, or explores a topic from different angles.
- Literary Passage: An excerpt from a story, poem, or play.
- Question Types: Questions will assess direct comprehension, inference, vocabulary in context, and understanding of the main idea. Questions can be objective (MCQs) or short answer types.
Section B — Grammar and Creative Writing
This section focuses on building a strong foundation in English grammar and developing effective written communication skills.
I. Grammar:
- Parts of Speech:
- Nouns (Common, Proper, Collective, Abstract)
- Pronouns (Personal, Possessive, Demonstrative, Interrogative, Indefinite, Reflexive)
- Verbs (Action verbs, Helping verbs, Main verbs, Three forms of verbs, Auxiliary verbs - be, do, have)
- Adjectives (Degrees of Comparison)
- Adverbs (Place, Type)
- Prepositions (in, into, at, on, to, for, with, among, between, over, in front of, behind, from, etc.)
- Conjunctions
- Interjections
- Sentence Structure:
- Introduction to Sentences and Phrases
- Types of Sentences (Declarative, Interrogative, Imperative, Exclamatory)
- Subject-Verb Agreement
- Word Order in Sentence Types
- Clauses (Introduction)
- Tenses:
- Simple Present, Present Continuous, Present Perfect
- Simple Past, Past Continuous, Past Perfect
- Simple Future
- Emphasis on correct usage and form.
- Voice: Introduction to Active and Passive Voice.
- Reported Speech: Introduction to Direct and Indirect Speech.
- Modals: Use of common modals (can, could, may, might, should, would, must).
- Determiners: Articles (a, an, the), Demonstratives, Possessives, Quantifiers.
- Punctuation: Capitalization, Full Stop, Comma, Question Mark, Exclamation Mark.
- Error Correction & Omissions: Identifying and correcting grammatical errors in sentences or passages.
- Gap Filling/Sentence Completion: Filling in blanks with appropriate words (verbs, prepositions, conjunctions, etc.).
- Sentence Reordering/Jumbled Words: Arranging jumbled words/phrases to form meaningful sentences.
- Framing Questions: Forming appropriate questions for given answers.
- Vocabulary: Synonyms, Antonyms, Homophones, Idioms and Phrases (basic level).
II. Creative Writing:
- Paragraph Writing: Writing coherent paragraphs on given topics or hints (e.g., descriptive, narrative, argumentative).
- Letter Writing:
- Formal Letters (e.g., to the Principal, complaint letters)
- Informal Letters (e.g., to friends, family)
- Diary Entry: Writing personal reflections or daily events.
- Notice Writing: Drafting notices for school events or announcements.
- Message Writing: Conveying a short message effectively.
- Story Completion/Story Writing: Developing a story from a given outline, beginning, or visual input.
- Dialogue Completion: Completing dialogues based on context.
Section C — Literature
This section covers the prose and poetry from the prescribed NCERT textbooks, focusing on comprehension, literary appreciation, and value-based learning.
I. From Honeysuckle (Main Textbook):
Prose Chapters:
- Who Did Patrick's Homework?
- How the Dog Found Himself a New Master!
- Taro's Reward
- An Indian-American Woman in Space: Kalpana Chawla
- A Different Kind of School
- Who I Am
- Fair Play
- A Game of Chance
- Desert Animals
- The Banyan Tree
Poetry Chapters:
- A House, A Home
- The Kite
- The Quarrel
- Beauty
- Where Do All the Teachers Go?
- The Wonderful Words
- Vocation
- What if
II. From A Pact with the Sun (Supplementary Reader):
- A Tale of Two Birds
- The Friendly Mongoose
- The Shepherd's Treasure
- The Old-Clock Shop
- Tansen
- The Monkey and the Crocodile
- The Wonder Called Sleep
- A Pact With The Sun
- What Happened to the Reptiles
- A Strange Wrestling Match
4.0Internal Assessment (20 Marks)
Internal assessments are a group of various activities done to evaluate students’ overall performance in the classroom across the academic session. It carries 20 marks and is divided into 4 types of activities of 5 marks each:
*The syllabus for internal assessments and term-end examinations may vary depending on your school; however, the structure and pattern for both remain the same.
5.0Study Beyond Textbooks: Some Useful Study Resources
The NCERT books are just the start; mastering the CBSE syllabus 6th-class English needs something more than these textbooks. That something is the additional study resources that go beyond the classic textbook facts. Here are some of the best tools and resources to help you score well in your term-end exams:
- NCERT Textbooks solutions(Honeysuckle & A Pact with the Sun): Reading, learning, and writing the solutions for the main textbooks of class 6 can help you understand how and what to write in the answer in the actual exam.
- Grammar Practice Books: Books that follow the new CBSE Class 6 English grammar syllabus provide a good number of exercises. Opt for one that gives solutions and explanations.
- Class Notes & School Worksheets: Teachers may underline key grammatical rules or give writing templates specific to school examinations.
- Sample Letters & Diary Entries: Keep a writing journal to experiment with various writing styles. Refer to the model answers and rewrite them incorporating your own thoughts.
- ALS (Assessment of Listening and Speaking): Recite poems and short speeches. For speaking, attempt role-play or storytelling with a friend or parent.
- Dictionary & Vocabulary Builder Tools: Frequent use of dictionaries or vocabulary-building apps can enhance word power, particularly for comprehension passages.
- Grammar Rules Flashcards: These are ideal to review parts of speech, tenses, and problematic exceptions of English grammar.
- Portals of Reading Online: Short stories suitable for the age group, along with reading apps, enhance reading endurance and contact with varied writing styles.
- Additional Practice Books: These tend to include higher-order thinking questions that deepen comprehension of poetry and stories.
- Group Recitals or Class Presentations: Presenting a summary orally or practising in a group reinforces learning and strengthens speaking confidence.
6.0Benefits of Knowing the Syllabus Early
It is a saying that knowing the syllabus reduces half the syllabus itself. In simple words, when you're clear about what topics to study and how they’re assessed, your learning becomes simpler and smarter, and here are the reasons why:
- Prior knowledge of the syllabus of English for class 6 can help you plan your study schedule according to the mark distribution.
- It will also enable students to avoid last-minute stress by preparing gradually throughout the year.
- Understanding the syllabus also helps in eliminating not-so-important sections of the Class 6 English CBSE Syllabus.
- And last but not least, you will be able to stay ahead in internal assessments and score full marks.
7.0Quick Tips to Succeed in the English Exam
- Weekly Unseen Passage Practice: Spend time every week on reading comprehension passages, which will help enormously increase your reading speed, vocabulary, and analytical thinking abilities.
- Daily Grammar Boost: Keep aside 15-20 minutes each day for grammar practice in the areas of tenses, sentence correction, and language rules to develop rock-solid accuracy and confidence.
- Make Short Chapter Summaries: After reading each lesson or poem, summarise in brief 4-5 line versions the major themes, characters, and significant points for rapid revision.
- Practice Your Writing Skills: Practice a range of writing styles, such as formal emails, official notices, creative conversations, and paragraphed answers, on a regular basis to become proficient in different styles of communication.
- Timed Solution of Past Papers: Solve previous years' question papers within the real exam time frame to achieve speed, identify repeat patterns, and enhance time management.
- Excel at Classroom Participation: Be actively engaged in speaking tasks, listening tasks, and class discussions to readily obtain those precious 20 internal assessment marks throughout the year.