The NCERT Class 10 English book is printed as three separate textbooks: First Flight, Footprints without Feet and Words and Expressions 2. All three are listed below, each with its chapter count, printed pages and a link to its own page. The set described here is the one maintained for the 2026-27 academic session.
The split matters because each book restarts its chapter numbering at 1. ‘Chapter 1’ can mean A Letter to God (First Flight), A Triumph of Surgery (Footprints without Feet) or the opening unit of Words and Expressions 2 — so a chapter number alone cannot identify a lesson.
English Class 10 PDFs at a glance
The table below lists each of the three official books with its chapter count, its printed pages and a link to its own page. Between them the three hold 25 chapters across 321 printed pages.
| Book | Chapters | Printed pages | Book page |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Flight | 9 | 140 | First Flight (coming soon) |
| Footprints Without Feet | 9 | 70 | Footprints Without Feet (coming soon) |
| Words and Expressions 2 | 7 | 111 | Words and Expressions 2 (coming soon) |
Which 10th English book PDF do you need?
Start from the chapter title, not the chapter number. Chapter numbers restart at one in each book, so a chapter number alone cannot identify a lesson — the title is the reliable way to choose the right book.
Match what the teacher called the book:
- “Main textbook” or “First Flight” — First Flight, the coursebook with the nine reading lessons from A Letter to God to The Proposal.
- “Supplementary reader” or “Footprints” — Footprints without Feet, the extra reading volume.
- “Workbook”, “practice book” or “Words and Expressions” — Words and Expressions 2, the practice workbook.
The common mistake is opening First Flight for a supplementary reader chapter. Bholi and The Necklace belong to Footprints without Feet, not to First Flight — the titles sound like main-book lessons, but the book is the supplementary reader.
| Mistake | Correct rule | How to check your answer |
|---|---|---|
| Opening First Flight for Bholi or The Necklace | Both are Footprints without Feet chapters | Match the lesson title to its book in the table above |
| Trusting the chapter number to name the book | Every book restarts at chapter 1 | Search the lesson title, then note which book it appears in |
| Assuming the main textbook holds every lesson | The set is three books with three different jobs | Check the name the teacher used against the table above |
How the CBSE Class 10 English book set is organised
First Flight is the main Class 10 English textbook. It holds the nine reading lessons, from A Letter to God (pp. 1–15) to The Proposal (pp. 120–140), and is the book most students carry to class.
Footprints without Feet is the supplementary reader. It holds the nine additional lessons, from A Triumph of Surgery to The Book That Saved the Earth, and is meant to be read alongside the main textbook.
Words and Expressions 2 is the practice workbook. Its units follow the First Flight lessons, so the opening unit is A Letter to God — the same text that opens First Flight, worked through as exercises.
Related NCERT book pages for Class 10 English
Useful next pages on this site:
- Class 10 English hub — the rest of the Class 10 English material this site holds.
- Class 10 NCERT books hub — the Class 10 subjects listed on this site, in one place.
- NCERT books directory — the main index of classes and subjects on this site.
Each book’s own page, with its chapter list and links to the chapter PDFs, is one click from the table above.
Sources and data verification
The chapter and page counts on this page describe the NCERT Class 10 English editions linked above — First Flight, Footprints without Feet and Words and Expressions 2 — as published on the official portal at ncert.nic.in.
This page covers exactly those three NCERT books. It does not cover English textbooks printed for other boards or other publishers’ guides and workbooks.
The listing is maintained for the 2026-27 academic session.
NCERT settles textbook titles, editions and official PDFs. CBSE settles the curriculum, syllabus and examinations.
Your Class 10 English questions, answered
How many NCERT books are there for Class 10 English?
Three. NCERT prints Class 10 English as First Flight (the main textbook), Footprints without Feet (the supplementary reader) and Words and Expressions 2 (the practice workbook). Between them they carry 25 chapters across 321 printed pages.
Which book is A Letter to God in?
It is Chapter 1 of First Flight, pages 1–15. The same text also opens Words and Expressions 2, whose first unit builds practice on it.
Which book has Bholi and A Triumph of Surgery?
Both are in Footprints without Feet, the supplementary reader. A Triumph of Surgery is its Chapter 1 and Bholi its Chapter 8.
Are the Class 10 English PDFs on ncert.nic.in official and free?
Yes. Every official Class 10 English chapter PDF on ncert.nic.in is free, and the table on this page links each book to its own page, where each chapter PDF is one click away. One caution: textbook contents and the examinable syllabus are not always identical — check the current official CBSE syllabus before deciding what to revise.
Why does chapter 1 appear in more than one Class 10 English book?
Numbering restarts at 1 in every book. Chapter 1 of First Flight is A Letter to God, Chapter 1 of Footprints without Feet is A Triumph of Surgery, and Unit 1 of Words and Expressions 2 is A Letter to God. A chapter number alone cannot tell you which book you need — the lesson title does.
Reference: NCERT Class 10 English textbooks, official editions on ncert.nic.in.