Haryana Board (HBSE) Class 8 English Half Yearly Question Paper 2026 Answer Key
Instructions :
• All questions are compulsory.
• Questions 1 to 15 carry 1 mark each.
• Questions 16 to 21 carry 2 marks each.
• Questions 22 to 27 carry 3 marks each.
• Questions 28 to 30 carry 5 marks each.
1. Who wrote the letter in the lesson “The Best Christmas Present in the World”?
(A) Connie
(B) Jim Macpherson
(C) Mrs. Macpherson
(D) Jeanne
Answer – (B) Jim Macpherson
2. Identify the correct tense of the sentence :
“It has been raining since morning.”
(A) Present continuous tense
(B) Present perfect tense
(C) Present perfect continuous tense
(D) Past perfect tense
Answer – (C) Present perfect continuous tense
3. The starving cricket went to an ant and requested it to lend him …………
(A) some clothes
(B) some money
(C) a mouthful of grain
(D) a quilt
Answer – (C) a mouthful of grain
4. In “How the Camel Got His Hump,” the camel’s hump was a result of :
(A) Eating too much
(B) Magic
(C) Working hard
(D) Being lazy
Answer – (D) Being lazy
5. What did the children in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands see when the tsunami struck?
(A) Water receding
(B) A huge wave
(C) Fish stranded on land
(D) All of the above
Answer – (B) A huge wave
6. Who wrote the poem ‘The School Boy’?
Answer – William Blake
7. Choose the correct spelling.
Knowledge / Knowledege
Answer – Knowledge
8. Keeping in mind, “The Last Bargain”, the synonym for the word “contentment” is ………….. (Satisfaction / Ambition)
Answer – Satisfaction
9. What does The School Boy compare himself with?
Answer – He compares himself with a bird in a cage.
10. “The Tsunami” – The story about Ignesious’s family is from which place?
Answer – Katchall, an island in the Nicobar group of islands.
Read the comprehension and answer the questions 11 to 15 :
About the year 1900, a small, dark-haired boy named Charles Chaplin was often seen waiting outside the back entrances of London theatres. He looked thin and hungry but his blue eyes were determined. He was hoping to get work in show business. He could sing and dance. His parents were music-hall performers and he had been born into the life of the theatre. And, although his own boyhood was painfully hard, he knew how to make people laugh. His own father had died from drinking too much. And his mother was not really able to look after Charles and his older half-brother, Sid. She was often sick in mind and had to be sent into hospital.
Questions :
11. The boy Charles Chaplin was ………..
(A) drown-haired
(B) dark-haired
(C) red-haired
(D) light-haired
Answer – (B) dark-haired
12. Chaplin thought to get a job in …………
(A) soap business
(B) hotel business
(C) show business
(D) hospital business
Answer – (C) show business
13. His parents were …………
(A) music-hall performers
(B) actors
(C) singers
(D) directors
Answer – (A) music-hall performers
14. His father had died due to ………..
(A) an illness
(B) accident
(C) drinking
(D) suicide
Answer – (C) drinking
15. The meaning of ‘determined’ is ………..
(A) mind made up
(B) mind turn up
(C) mind fade up
(D) mind turn down
Answer – (A) mind made up
16. Why had Velu run away from home? (Children at Work)
Answer – Velu ran away from home because his father was a drunkard who beat him and his sisters regularly and snatched away all the money they earned.
17. Why did the camel live in the middle of the desert? (How the Camel Got His Hump)
Answer – The camel lived in the middle of the desert because it was a lazy animal and did not want to work like the other animals.
18. Why was the cricket complaining in the poem “The Ant and the Cricket”?
Answer – Because the cricket did not prepare or store food for the winter and is now cold and starving.
19. What did Jim Macpherson write in his letter? (The Best Christmas Present in the World)
Answer – Jim Macpherson wrote to his wife about the Christmas truce between the British and German soldiers, where both sides celebrated Christmas together and shared food and laughter instead of fighting.
20. What, according to the writer, did the experience as an Everest climber teach him? (The Summit within)
Answer – According to the author, H.P.S. Ahluwalia, the experience of climbing Mount Everest taught him to face life’s challenges with determination, endurance, and tenacity.
21. Is Velu happy or unhappy to find work? Give reason for your answer? (Children at Work)
Answer – Velu was not happy to find work. He had to accept it because there was no choice. He says that he will do this work until he finds a better one.
22. If Tilly’s award was to be shared, who would you think she should share it with, her parents or geography teacher and why? (The Tsunami)
Answer – Tilly should share her award with her geography teacher because the teacher had taught her about tsunamis and their warning signs. This knowledge helped her recognize the danger and save many lives.
23. “The giant lay dead, all covered with white blossoms.” What does this sentence indicate about the once selfish giant? (The Selfish Giant)
Answer – This sentence indicates that the once selfish giant had now become kind and loving. The white blossoms symbolize peace, happiness and the end of his selfishness.
24. Read the following stanza carefully and answer the questions given below : (The School Boy)
I love to rise in the summer morn,
When the birds sing on every tree;
The distant huntsman winds his horn,
And the skylark sings with me,
O! What a sweet company.
Questions :
(i) Identify two words or phrases from the stanza that express the child’s happiness and joy.
Answer – “I love to rise” and “sweet company”
(ii) State the rhyming scheme used in the stanza.
Answer – ababc
(iii) The most appropriate word that best replaces ‘winds’ in the third line is :
(A) rings
(B) beats
(C) blows
(D) whistles
Answer – (C) blows
25. How does “How the Camel Got His Hump” explain the origin of the camel’s hump in a humorous way?
Answer – The story “How the Camel Got His Hump” explains the origin of the camel’s hump in a funny and imaginative way. It tells how the camel was lazy and refused to work, always saying “Humph!” to everyone. To teach him a lesson, the Djinn of All Deserts punished the camel by giving him a big hump on his back. The hump allowed him to work longer without eating, making up for the days he had wasted. The story humorously shows that idleness leads to extra burdens, while giving a playful explanation of how the camel got its hump.
26. Read the text and answer the questions that follow : (Children at Work)
Velu stares, this was a canal? Near some puddles of water was a row of the strangest huts he had ever seen. They were built out of all sorts of things- metal sheets, tyres, bricks, wood and plastic. They stood crookedly and looked as if they would fall any moment. “Is this where you live? These houses are strange!” said Velu. ” In our villages, the houses are made of mud and palm leaves.”
Questions :
(i) Of which material were the houses made of?
Answer – Houses were made of metal sheets, tyres, bricks, wood and plastic.
(ii) Did Jaya too live in one of such houses?
Answer – Yes
(iii) Why was Velu surprised to see the houses?
Answer – Velu was surprised because the huts were strange, crooked and looked as if they could fall any moment.
27. Who is an artisan? Why do you think the artisans suffered in the lesson “Glimpses of the Past”?
Answer – An artisan is a skilled manual worker who creates functional or decorative items by hand. In “Glimpses of the Past,” they suffered because the British imposed very high taxes on them and flooded the Indian market with cheap machine-made goods from England, which destroyed the local traditional hand-made industry.
28. Write a report on the class trip to Taj Mahal last Saturday.
Answer – Last Saturday, our class went on a trip to the Taj Mahal in Agra. We started early in the morning with our teachers. When we reached there, we were amazed by the beauty of the Taj Mahal. The white marble building looked very beautiful and grand. Our teacher told us about its history and that it was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. We took many photographs and enjoyed the peaceful garden around it. The trip was very interesting and educational. We returned home in the evening with happy memories.
OR
Write an application to the principal of your school requesting the remission of a fine.
Answer –
To
The Principal
Govt Sr Sec School, Charkhi Dadri
Subject : Request for remission of fine
Respected Sir/Madam,
I beg to say that I am a student of Class VIII in your school. I could not attend school for two days due to illness. Because of this, I was unable to complete and submit my homework on time. Therefore, a fine was imposed on me.
I request you to kindly remit my fine as I was absent due to genuine reasons. I assure you that I will be regular in my studies and will complete my work on time in the future.
Thank you.
Yours obediently
Jatin Kumar
Class VIII
29. Discuss the character traits of Velu from “Children at Work” and how they help him survive in the city.
Answer – Velu’s survival in the city reflects his courage, determination, and adaptability in the face of hardship. Though frightened and confused at first, he quickly learns to observe, think, and act wisely. With Jaya’s guidance, Velu overcomes his fear and hunger, finds work as a ragpicker, and begins to understand the realities of city life. His intelligence, resilience, and willingness to learn help him turn his struggle into strength. Despite his difficult circumstances, Velu shows a strong will to live and rebuild his life with dignity.
30. Read the passage and answer the following questions : (The Tsunami)
On the morning of December 26, 2004, the Indian Ocean experienced one of the most devastating tsunamis in recorded history. It was triggered by a massive underwater earthquake. The waves swept across coastal areas, causing immense destruction and loss of life. Many stories of survival emerged, highlighting human resilience and the instinct to help others in times of need.
Questions :
(i) When did the Indian Ocean tsunami occur?
Answer – On the morning of December 26, 2004
(ii) What caused the tsunami?
Answer – Underwater Earthquake
(iii) Where did this incident happen?
Answer – This incident happened in Thailand and the Indian Ocean.
(iv) What was the impact of the tsunami on coastal areas?
Answer – Immense destruction and loss of life.
(v) What did the stories of survival highlight about human nature?
Answer – Human resilience and the instinct to help others in times of need.