For scoring good marks in Class 12 English Board Exams, it is very important to practice some questions of each chapter. In this post, I will share some important question answers of The Last Lesson chapter, of Class 12th English (Flamingo book).
This will be your all in one solution for The Last Lesson chapter. I have personally practiced these questions before my English Board Exam.
These questions are selected in a way that it cover the idea of whole Last Lesson Chapter. Before starting let us see some previous year question trend analysis so you can get some idea of weightage of this chapter.
| Year | Extract Based | Short Answers | Long Answers |
| 2025 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2024 | 1 (6 parts) | 5 | 3 |
Key Takeaways from Previous Year Trends:
- This chapter is appearing consistently in CBSE English Board Exams.
- With the change in CBSE pattern, they are asking questions on comparitve analysis with other chapters or poems. This indicates that students should not study any chapter in isolation but the main objective should be to understand the thematic connections across whole English Syllabus.
I have made a worksheet for you containing Previous Year Questions of The Last Lesson from 2024 and 2025. Try to answer them by yourself to check your understanding on the latest CBSE pattern.
The Last Lesson Question Answers
Question 1.
When do the residents of Alsace realise how precious their language is to them? (CBSE 2023)
Other Similar Questions
Or What did the last lesson make the village people realise?
Or What is the significance of the last lesson?
Or Elaborate on the significance of the last lesson?
Ans.
The residents of Alsace realised the importance and preciousness of their language when the order from Berlin stating that only German would be taught in schools came.
Question 2.
Why was M. Hamel dressed in formal clothes in school? (CBSE 2023)
Ans.
M. Hamel was dressed in formal clothes in school on that day because it was his last French Lesson due to the order from Berlin and he wanted to make it special.
📌 View also: The Last Lesson Summary, Theme and Character Sketch
Question 3.
“You realise the true value of a thing only on losing it. Comment on this statement in the light of the story, ‘The last Lesson’. (CBSE SQP 2023)
Ans.
The given statement stands true for Franz and all the people of Alsace. The residents of Alsace did not give any importance to their native language French and their teacher M. Hamel till now. They preferred everything over sending their children to school for learning their language.
They never took M. Hamel or his classes seriously. It was only after Prussians putting a ban on the French language and M. Hamel being ordered to leave that people realised the importance of their mother tongue and started respecting it and the teacher.
Question 4.
Comment on the significance of the villagers sitting at the back in M. Hamel’s classroom. (CBSE SQP 2021)
or Why did the elders of the village attend the last lesson? (CBSE 2020)
or Why did the village elders occupy the back benches in the classroom to attend the last lesson delivered by M. Hamel? (Delhi 2019)
or Why were some elderly persons occupying the back benches that day? (All India 2017)
or Why did Hauser and the other villagers come to attend the last lesson? (CBSE SQP 2018)
Ans.
The village elders occupied the back benches in the classroom to attend the last lesson delivered by M. Hamel because they were sorry that they had not attended school more often. They also wanted to thank their teacher for his forty years of faithful service and to show their respect for the country that was theirs no longer.
Question 5.
How is the mother tongue important to a person? What does M. Hamel, the teacher, say about it? (CBSE 2020)
Ans.
The mother tongue is the representative of a nation’s true identity and character. It acts as a binding force that creates unity among the countrymen. M. Hamel rightly said that when people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language, it is as if they have the key to their prison.
Question 6.
Who did M. Hamel blame when Franz was unable to answer a question on French participles? (CBSE SQP 2020)
or Who did M. Hamel blame for the neglect of learning on the part of boys like Franz? (Delhi 2019)
or Whom did M. Hamel blame for Franz’s inability to answer his questions? (Delhi (C) 2015)
Ans.
M. Hamel blames both the children’s parents and himself for the neglect of learning on the part of boys like Franz. The parents sent the children out to work instead of sending them to school. He blamed himself for making the students do his personal work during school time and giving them a holiday when he wanted to go fishing.
Question 7.
What surprises awaited Franz as he entered the classroom? (CBSE 2020)
or What did Franz wonder about when he entered the class that day? (Delhi 2017)
Ans.
When Franz entered class that day, he was expecting a scolding from M. Hamel but he spoke very kindly to Franz and asked him to sit. Franz also wondered about the presence of senior villagers occupying back benches of the class.
Question 8.
“We’ve all a great deal to reproach ourselves with”, said M. Hamel. Refer to the context and explain what he wanted to convey to his students. (CBSE SQP 2019)
or “We’ ve all got a great deal to reproach ourselves with”, said M. Hamel. Comment. (Delhi 2015)
Ans.
M. Hamel said this as Franz and most of the people of Alsace could neither speak nor write in French. The parents of students preferred to put them to work to earn money and M. Hamel himself did not give as much importance to learning as it demanded. By the given words M. Hamel wants the people to value their native language.
Question 9.
Why did Franz not want to go to school that day? (Delhi 2017)
or What tempted Franz to stay away from school? (Delhi 2014)
or Why did Franz think of running away from school that morning? (All India 2013)
Ans.
Franz did not want to go to school that day because he has not prepared his lesson on participles. He knew his French teacher would scold him for this. So, Franz wanted to avoid going to school. Further, he was distracted by the warm, bright weather, the chirping of birds and the sight of the marching Prussian soldiers also tempted him to stay away from school.
Question 10.
Why did M. Hamel write Five La France!” on the blackboard? (Delhi 2015)
Ans.
M. Hamel wrote Vive La France on the blackboard to show his love for his country as well as for the French language. In addition, he was displaying his resistance of the German seizure of France.
Question 11.
How did M. Hamel display his love for the French language? (Delhi 2015)
or What shows M. Hamel’s love for the French language? (Foreign 2014)
Ans.
M. Hamel showed his love for the French language by telling the students that the French language was the most beautiful language in the world. It is the clearest and the most logical. He wanted the people of France to respect their language.
Question 12.
What was the bulletin board news that caused a change in the school? (All India 2015)
or What had been put up on the bulletin board? (Delhi 2011)
Ans.
A news had been put up on the bulletin board stating that only German should be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine from the next day.
Question 13.
What was unusual about M. Hamel’s clothes on his last day in the school? (All India 2015; Delhi (C) 2014)
Ans.
M. Hamel had put on his ceremonial clothes on his last day in the school. He was wearing a beautiful green coat, a frilled shirt and a little black embroidered silk cap.
Question 14.
“What a thunderclap these words were to me!” (Franz). What were those words and was their effect on Franz? (All India 2017)
or Why is the order from Berlin called a thunderclap by Franz? (All India (C) 2014)
or “What a thunderclap these words were to me!”” What were the words that shocked and surprised the narrator? (Delhi 2013; All India 2011,10)
Ans.
M. Hamel told his students that it we their last French lesson as an order had come from Berlin that henceforward only German was to be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. This announcement seemed to be a thunderclap to Franz as he was surprised and shocked on hearing them.
Question 15.
Why does M. Hamel reproach himself for his students unsatisfactory progress in studies? (All India (C) 2014)
Ans.
M. Hamel reproached himself because he had often sent the students to water his plants, and whenever he wanted to go fishing, he just gave them a holiday. So, he reproached himself for his students’ unsatisfactory progress in studies.
Question 16.
What words did M. Hamel write on the blackboard before dismissing the last class? What did they mean? (Delhi (C) 2014)
Ans.
Before dismissing the last class, M. Hamel turned to the blackboard and wrote the phrase ‘Vive La France!’ as large as he could. These words meant ‘Long Live France’ and spoke of M. Hamel’s great love for his country and his deep sense of patriotism.
📌 View also: Class 12th Report Writing Format (2025) with Examples
Question 17.
What made M. Hamel cry towards the end of his last lesson? (All India (C) 2014)
Ans.
M. Hamel had taught French at the school for the last forty years. He was emotionally attached to the school and it was really heartbroken to leave it. All this made him cry towards the end of his last lesson.
Question 18.
What did M. Hamel tell them about the French language? What did he ask them to do and why? (Delhi 2013; Delhi (C) 2011)
Ans.
M. Hamel told his students that the French language was the most clearest, most logical and most beautiful language in the world. He asked them to safeguard the French language and never forget it because when people are enslaved, the only way to unlock the key to their prison is by means of their language.
Question 19.
“But the thing that surprised me the most was to see…” What surprised Franz the most in the class? (All India (C) 2013)
Ans.
The thing that surprised Franz the most was to see the elderly villagers seated on the back benches of the class. It surprised him as they hardly used to came to attend the class earlier.
Question 20.
How did Franz react to the declaration that it was their last French lesson? (Delhi; All India; Delhi 2013)
or “This is your last French lesson.” How did Franz react to this declaration of M. Hamel? (Delhi 2010)
Ans.
The French teacher M. Hamel announced that he would be teaching his last French lesson that day because the orders had come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. On hearing this, all the students as well as Franz felt very sorry that they would not be learning their mother tongue in future. Franz regretted not having learnt his lessons.
Question 21.
When Franz reached his school, what unusual situation did he observe? (Delhi (C) 2013)
Ans.
When Franz arrived at school the atmosphere there was filled with an unusual situation. Usually, there would be a great hustle and bustle when the school began. The noise of opening and closing of the desks, lessons being repeated in unison and the hitting of the teacher’s ruler on the table could be heard out in the street. But that day, it was all very quiet and as still as on a Sunday morning.
Question 22.
What were Franz’s regrets after M. Hamel’s announcement of his last lesson? (Delhi (C) 2012)
Ans.
When M. Hamel announced that it was their last French lesson, Franz realised he had so much more to learn. He felt sorry for whiling away his time and skipping his lessons.
Question 23.
How did M. Hamel say farewell to his students and the people of the town? (All India; Delhi 2012)
Ans.
At the end of his ‘Last Lesson’, M. Hamel stood up to bid farewell to his students and the people of the town but overwhelming emotion choked his voice. He then wrote ‘Vive La France’ as large as he could on the blackboard and dismissed the class with a gesture with his hand.
Question 24.
What was the order from Berlin and what changes did it cause in the school? (All India 2013; Delhi 2013)
or What changes did the order from Berlin cause in the school? (Delhi 2012)
or What was the mood in the classroom when M. Hamel gave his last French lesson? (All India (C) 2011)
Ans.
The order from Berlin stated that German will be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. Due to this, an unusual silence prevailed in the school. M. Hamel became soft in speaking to the students while the students realised the importance of their language.
Question 25.
Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” What does this tell us about the attitude of the Frenchmen? (All India 2011)
Ans.
The given statement by Franz shows that the Frenchmen were full of hatred against the Germans. Besides, they feared German atrocities. They thought that they would be forced to read German and no one will be spared.
meaning of atrocity – अतिदुष्ट व्यवहार
So, these were some important question answers from The Last Lesson chapter, if you will practice these questions, you will get the whole idea of the chapter and it’s exam trend.
Also don’t foeget to solve the worksheet of The Last Lesson which contains the questions from latest CBSE pattern. With time I will update more questions in this post.
🔗 Quick Links For Class 12 English Summaries
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) from The Last Lesson
1. What is the main theme of The Last Lesson?
The story highlights the importance of language, culture, and identity. It shows how people often take their language for granted until it’s taken away from them.
2. Who is the author of The Last Lesson?
The story is written by Alphonse Daudet, a French writer known for capturing emotions with simplicity and depth.
3. What does the blackboard with “Vive La France” mean?
“Vive La France” means “Long Live France.” It reflects patriotism and resistance against the foreign power (Germany) trying to erase their language and culture.