FA, FSC, ICS, and ICOM Part 2 students can download the official English Grammar and Composition textbook for Class 12 here for free. This book is published by Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (PCTB) Lahore and covers the complete grammar and composition syllabus for intermediate classes. This page covers chapters 6 through 13, advanced grammar plus every composition topic, while the core grammar chapters are on the Class 11 page.
For 2nd year students, this half of the book is where the board exam’s writing questions live: direct and indirect speech, pair of words, idioms, moral stories, letters, translation, paragraphs, and essays. Each chapter below includes real examples and sample topics from the book along with its own important questions, useful for the final year English paper.
Book Overview
| Class | 12th Class / 2nd Year |
| Subject | English Grammar and Composition |
| Category | FA, FSC, ICS, ICOM (All Intermediate) |
| Board | Punjab Board (PCTB) |
| Author | Zarqa Bashir |
| Chapters Covered | 8 of 13 (Advanced Grammar and Composition: Direct/Indirect Speech to Essays) |
| Format | PDF (Free Download) |
Chapter List
Chapter 6: Direct and Indirect Speech
This chapter explains direct speech (a speaker’s exact words in inverted commas) versus indirect speech (reported using ‘that,’ with tense, pronoun, and time/place shifts). It lays out conversion rules: present, past, and future tenses each shift one step backward, modal verbs shift too (can to could), while separate rules cover interrogative, imperative, exclamatory, and wish sentences, plus pronoun and time-word changes.
Important Questions:
- What happens to the simple present tense when converted to indirect speech? It changes to the simple past tense, so ‘She said, I am unwell’ becomes ‘She said that she was unwell.’
- How does the modal verb will change in indirect speech? It changes to would, as in ‘He said the test will be difficult’ becoming ‘He said that the test would be difficult.’
- How is an imperative sentence like ‘She said to me, Polish my shoes’ converted? The reporting verb becomes ordered or requested and the main verb becomes an infinitive: ‘She ordered me to polish her shoes.’
- What does the word today become in indirect speech? It becomes that day (tomorrow becomes the next day, yesterday becomes the day before).
Chapter 7: Pair of Words
This chapter presents 96 numbered pairs of commonly confused words, each with a definition and example sentence, such as Access/Excess, Adopt/Adapt, Affect/Effect, Principal/Principle, Stationery/Stationary, and There/Their. It closes with a practice exercise asking students to write meanings and original sentences for further pairs like Cattle/Kettle and Council/Counsel.
Important Questions:
- What is the difference between Principal and Principle? Principal means most important or the head of an institution, while principle is a moral rule or strong belief guiding one’s actions.
- Differentiate between Stationary and Stationery. Stationary means not moving, while stationery refers to writing materials such as paper, pens, and envelopes.
- What is the difference between Affect and Effect? Affect is a verb meaning to produce a change, while effect is a noun meaning the resulting change.
- How do Emigrate and Immigrate differ? Emigrate means to leave one’s own country to live elsewhere permanently, while immigrate means to come and settle permanently in a new country.
Chapter 8: Idioms
This chapter defines an idiom as an expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words, then presents 100 idioms in a table format with meanings and example sentences, including Above board, Burn the candle at both ends, Pay through the nose, Face the music, and On cloud nine.
Important Questions:
- What does the idiom to die in harness mean? To die while still working, before retirement.
- What is the meaning of pay through the nose? To suffer a great financial loss.
- Explain the idiom a fair-weather friend. A selfish friend who stays only during good times and abandons others when things get difficult.
- What does face the music mean? To confront the consequences of one’s own actions.
Chapter 9: Stories with Moral Lessons
This chapter opens the composition section with 23 short moral stories, each ending in an explicit moral. Stories include Honesty is the Best Policy, The Mouse and the Lion, The King and the Spider (Robert Bruce), The Hare and the Tortoise, The Hen that Laid Golden Eggs, King Midas and the Golden Touch, and The Boy Who Cried Wolf, among others.
Important Questions:
- What is the moral of The Mouse and the Lion? Love and kindness are never wasted — the mouse the lion once spared later freed him from a hunter’s net.
- In the story of Robert Bruce and the spider, what inspired the king to keep fighting? Watching a spider finally succeed on its seventh attempt after six failures gave Bruce new hope to regroup and win his kingdom back.
- What lesson does The Hare and the Tortoise teach? Slow and steady wins the race, since the persistent tortoise beat the overconfident hare who stopped to nap.
- What happened when a real wolf appeared in The Boy Who Cried Wolf? Because he had lied before, the villagers ignored his true cry for help and his flock was scattered.
Chapter 10: Letters and Applications
This chapter covers formal and informal letter writing: types and kinds of letters (private, business, official), the six parts of a letter, and correct salutation/subscription pairings. It provides nine full sample formal applications to a college Principal (sick leave, fee concession, character certificate, scholarship) and sixteen sample informal letters to friends, parents and siblings, closing with 17 letter-writing practice prompts.
Important Questions:
- What are the six parts of a letter? The heading, the salutation, the communication (body), the subscription, the signature, and the superscription.
- What subscription closes a letter to a Principal versus a parent? A letter to the Principal closes with Yours obediently, while a letter to parents closes with Yours affectionately or Your loving son/daughter.
- What are the three kinds of letters described? Private letters, business letters, and official letters.
- What does the sample fee concession application request, and why? A student cites her father’s meagre income as a gardener supporting four children and requests a full fee waiver to continue her F.Sc. studies.
Chapter 11: Translation
This chapter defines translation and lays out core rules, including following the grammar of the target language, translating the meaning rather than word-for-word, and never translating proper names. It provides 10 worked Urdu-to-English sample passages (business honesty, Allama Iqbal, Badshahi Masjid) and 10 English-to-Urdu passages (patriotism, deforestation, human rights), followed by two 10-question practice exercises.
Important Questions:
- What is translation, as defined in this chapter? The process of changing something, written or spoken, from one language into another.
- Should translation be strictly word-for-word? No, it should depict the intended meaning of the source language rather than being verbatim.
- What should never be translated according to the rules given? Proper names, such as the name of an institution, a company, or a person.
- Name two topics covered in the Urdu-to-English sample passages. Honesty in business and the life and poetry of Allama Iqbal.
Chapter 12: Paragraph
This chapter defines a paragraph as a coherent group of sentences on a single topic, structured into a Topic Sentence, Supporting Sentences, and a Concluding Sentence. It details four types, Narrative, Descriptive, Expository, and Persuasive/Argumentative, each with transition-word lists, closing with 10 full sample paragraphs on topics like Spring Season, My Best Friend, Corruption, and Smog.
Important Questions:
- What are the three parts of a standard paragraph structure? The Topic Sentence, the Supporting Sentence(s), and the Concluding Sentence.
- What are the four types of paragraphs covered? Narrative, Descriptive, Expository, and Persuasive/Argumentative paragraphs.
- What senses does a Descriptive paragraph typically use? The five senses: touch, hearing, sight, taste, and smell.
- In what order are examples arranged in a Persuasive paragraph? In order of significance, with the least important evidence first and the most persuasive evidence saved for last.
Chapter 13: Essays
This chapter defines an essay as a set of paragraphs developing a single thesis, covering Narrative and Descriptive essay types, and outlines the structure of Introduction, Main Body (at least three supporting paragraphs), and Conclusion. It provides 29 full sample essays covering topics such as Internet, Traffic Problems in Big Cities, Terrorism, Education System of Pakistan, Atomic Energy, and Women Empowerment.
Important Questions:
- What three essential parts must every essay contain? Introduction, Main Body, and Conclusion.
- What is the recommended word count for an essay? Between 300-500 words.
- Name three sample essay topics included in this chapter. Internet, Traffic Problems in Big Cities, and Education System of Pakistan.
- How many supporting paragraphs should the main body have at minimum? At least three separate supporting paragraphs.
Download English Grammar and Composition Class 12 PDF
Click the button below to download the official PCTB English Grammar and Composition book for free.
Who Should Read This
This book is for all FA, FSC, ICS, and ICOM Part 2 students studying English under Punjab Board. This page covers every composition topic tested in the final year English paper, letters, translation, paragraphs, and essays, plus the advanced grammar chapters. FSC Pre-Medical and Pre-Engineering students will also find the essay and letter sections especially useful.
Applicable Boards
This PCTB textbook is used across all Punjab Board affiliated colleges — Lahore Board, Faisalabad Board, Gujranwala Board, Multan Board, Rawalpindi Board, Sargodha Board, DG Khan Board, and Sahiwal Board.
FAQs
Is this the official PCTB English Grammar book for Class 12?
Yes. This is the official PCTB English Grammar and Composition textbook for intermediate classes, approved by Punjab Board and authored by Zarqa Bashir. The same book is used in both Class 11 and Class 12.
Is this book for FSC students only?
No. This book is common for all intermediate categories under Punjab Board including FA, FSC, ICS, and ICOM. All 2nd year students use the same Grammar and Composition book.
How many chapters does this book have, and which ones are on this page?
The full book has 13 chapters. This Class 12 page covers chapters 6 through 13: Direct and Indirect Speech, Pair of Words, Idioms, Stories with Moral Lessons, Letters and Applications, Translation, Paragraph, and Essays. The first 5 core grammar chapters are on the Class 11 page.
Does this book include essays and letters for board exams?
Yes. Chapter 10 covers formal and informal letter writing with many sample letters and applications. Chapter 13 includes 29 complete essays on topics commonly asked in Punjab Board exams.
Is pair of words and idioms covered in this book?
Yes. Chapter 7 covers pair of words and Chapter 8 covers idioms — both are important topics in the Punjab Board English paper for 2nd year.
Is the PDF free to download?
Yes, the English Grammar and Composition Class 12 PDF is completely free to download and read on any device.
Related Books
- English Grammar & Composition 1st Year FA Book
- English 2nd Year FSC Book
- Mathematics 2nd Year FSC Book
- Biology 2nd Year FSC Book
- Chemistry 2nd Year FSC Book
- Physics 2nd Year FSC Book
Study Resources for English 2nd Year
Free exam-preparation resources for English 2nd Year from the Freebooks.pk Editorial Team — the free PDF textbook, the latest paper pairing scheme. Study online or download.