CBSE Class 10 English Chapter 5 Footprints Without Feet: Important Questions with Answers, Download PDF

The CBSE board exams for class 10 are commencing soon; students appearing for the exam can utilize preparation materials from here. As the English (Language and Literature) exam is scheduled for February 21, 2026 (Saturday), for revision and practice of the literature part, we have shared multiple important questions in the article. These questions are prepared by subject matter experts as per the CBSE Class 10 exam pattern. 

Students can find the questions that range from textual extracts to long-type answers, offering students the chance to define an overview of the story. By practicing these chapter-based questions, from textual extracts to long-type answers, students will gain a better understanding of the details about the chapter, which will help prepare them well for their board exams.

Also check: CBSE Class 10 English Chapter 1, A Triumph Of Surgery

CBSE Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet: Key Highlights

CBSE Class 10 English Chapter 5, Footprints Without Feet: Summary

In Chapter 5, "Footprints Without Feet," the story explores the life of Griffin, a bright but odd scientist who learns how to turn invisible. The story by H.G. Wells follows Griffin's development from a talented researcher to a "lawless person," utilizing his discovery to steal and get away with it. The main theme is the abuse of science and the absence of social responsibility, showing how a great mind without a conscience can turn an amazing innovation into a destructive tool. It is a powerful cautionary tale about the isolation and ultimate doom that come with power absent of morality.

CBSE Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet, A Question Of Trust: Important Questions

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)

1. What is being referred to as the "strange incident" That happened in the study ?

(a) Griffin arriving at the inn during off season

(b) Griffin pretending to be waiting for a cheque

(c) Griffin stealing money while being invisible 

(d) None of the above

Ans: (c) Griffin stealing money while being invisible

2. Why was Mrs Hall prepared and ready to tolerate strange habits and irritable temper ?

(a) He had paid in advance

(b) He was a scientist

(c) Both (a) and (b)

(d) None of the above

Ans: (a) He had paid in advance

4.What did she think had happened to her furniture ?

(a) The furniture had gone mad 

(b) Nothing

(c) The scientist had put spirits in them

(d) The scientist was playing with them

Ans: (c) The scientist had put spirits in them

Short Answer Type Questions

5. Why was he wandering the streets?

Answer: Though he was a brilliant scientist, he was a lawless person. His landlord disliked him and wanted to evict Griffin. In revenge, he set fire to the house. To escape, he removed his clothes, becoming invisible. Thus, he became homeless and was wandering the streets of London.

6. How would you assess Griffin as a scientist?

Answer: Griffin is a brilliant scientist, as he discovers how to make himself invisible. But he seems to enjoy the feeling of power which he gets out of his invisibility. The power to hurt anybody without getting noticed can give sadistic pleasure to some people. A true scientist should make discoveries for the larger benefit of society, not just for his own benefit.

7. How did the invisible man first become visible?

Answer: The invisible man (Griffin) first became visible after he slipped into a big London store for keeping warm and overslept there while wearing some clothes taken from the store. The clothes made him visible to the shop assistants when the shop opened in the morning. To escape from them, he had to shed all his clothes to become invisible again.

8. What makes glass or water transparent (what is the scientific explanation for this)? Do you think it would be scientifically possible for a man to become invisible, or transparent? (Keep in mind that writers of science fiction have often turned out to be prophetic in their imagination)

Answer: The fact that light can pass through glass or water makes them transparent. When light falls on an object, the reflected light from that object makes it visible to us. If some device can be made which can prevent reflection of light from the human body then the human body can be made invisible.

9. How would you assess Griffin as a scientist?

Answer: Griffin is a brilliant scientist, as he discovers how to make himself invisible. But he seems to enjoy the feeling of power which he gets out of his invisibility. The power to hurt anybody without getting noticed can give sadistic pleasure to some people. A true scientist should make discoveries for the larger benefit of society, not just for his own benefit.

10. Are there forces around us that are invisible, for example, magnetism? Are there aspects of matter that are ‘invisible or not visible to the naked eye? What would the world be like if you could see such forces or such aspects of matter? ‘

Answer: Magnetic forces and electrostatic forces are examples of invisible forces. The atoms and molecules in a matter are so small that they are not visible to the naked eye. Similarly, heat energy is invisible. Similarly, sound is invisible to us. While the idea of seeing invisible things can be very exciting, their visibility would create too many problems. For example, if we are able to see all the sound around us, that would be too irritating for us.

11.What makes glass or water transparent (what is the scientific explanation for this)? Do you think it would be scientifically possible for a man to become invisible, or transparent? (Keep in mind that writers of science fiction have often turned out to be prophetic in their imagination)

Answer: The fact that light can pass through glass or water makes them transparent. When light falls on an object, the reflected light from that object makes it visible to us. If some device can be made which can prevent reflection of light from the human body then the human body can be made invisible.

12. What other extraordinary things happen at the inn?

Answer: At the inn, Mrs Hall and her husband went into the scientist’s room on finding its door open. However, he was not seen in the room, but Mrs Hall heard a sniff and the hat on the bedpost leapt up and dashed into her face. Then the bedroom chair sprang into the air and pushed them both out of the room. This made Mrs Hall think that her furniture was haunted.

Long Answer Type Questions

13. What other extraordinary things happen at the inn?

Answer: The landlord of the inn and his wife were surprised to see the doors of Griffin’s room open. They looked inside and found that nobody was inside the room and decided to investigate. They found it strange that his room’s door was open as he never liked anyone even trying to enter his room. All of a sudden, while investigating, Mrs. Hall heard a sniff next to her ear and was hit by Griffin’s hat on the face. Then the chair in the room charged towards Mrs. Hall and hit her in her legs.

As they both turned in terror, the chair pushed both of them out of the room and the door was slammed and suddenly a locking sound was heard. Mrs. Hall was scared and felt that the furniture was haunted by spirits and it was the stranger’s work. The nearby people started talking that the work was that of a witchcraft

14. Brilliant scientist though he was, Griffin was rather a lawless person. His landlord disliked him and tried to eject him. In revenge Griffin set fire to the house. To get away without being seen he had to remove his clothes. Thus it was that he became a homeless wanderer, without clothes, without money, and quite invisible — until he happened to step in some mud, and left footprints as he walked! He escaped easily enough from the boys who followed his footprints in London. But his adventures were by no means over. He had chosen a bad time of the year to wander about London without clothes. It was mid-winter. The air was bitterly cold and he could not do without clothes. Instead of walking about the streets he decided to slip into a big London store for warmth.

1. Why did Griffin set the landlord’s house on fire?

A. as an act of revenge

B. because his landlord disliked him

C. he had ejected his landlord

D. all of the above

Ans. A

2. When did Griffin become quite invisible?

A. when he had his clothes on

B. when he left behind footprints in mud

C. after he removed his clothes

D. when he became a homeless wanderer

Ans. C

3. How do we know that Griffin was a lawless person?

A. the landlord did not like him

B. he had no money

C. he had set fire to the landlord’s house

D. he had to escape to London

Ans. C

4. Why does the narrator say that it was ‘a bad time of the year’?

A. It was very cold

B. Griffin had to wander in the streets

C. It was the end of the winter season.

D. all of the above

Ans. A

5. The word ‘eject’ DOES NOT mean the same as:

A. throw out

B. oust

C. expel

D. admit

Ans. D

15. Griffin was not a true scientist as he misused his scientific discovery. Illustrate this point by giving two incidents from the story.

OR

Scientists contribute to making the world a better place. Griffin is an antithesis to this statement. Justify.

Answer. It’s evident from these two cases that Griffin abused his scientific discovery. Griffin first lit the house on fire in retaliation when his landlord tried to evict him. He had conveniently done this after ingesting some rare drug that had rendered him invisible as a sheet of glass. The second incident occurs after he gets caught sleeping in a London store. He attacks and robs a storekeeper of money so he can get warm and put on clothes. Then he reserves a room at an inn and asks to not be bothered. Here, a number of strange things happen. In order to investigate, the landlord and his wife first go into the scientist’s room while he is not there. His clothes and cap are scattered over the room, and his bed clothes are damp. The hat suddenly flies across her face as she hears a sniff near her ears. The chair in the bedroom comes to life and attacks her legs. The door is then locked after forcing Mr. and Mrs. Hall out of the space. As a result, we can observe how the clever scientist abuses his scientific findings.

CBSE Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet: Important Questions with Answers, Download PDF

Shared here is a PDF that contains important questions from CBSE Class 10 English from the Footprints Without Feet, Chapter 5, Footprints Without Feet. Download and save it for a quick revision to this chapter. 

CBSE Class 10 English, Footprints Without Feet: Chapter PDF

Access the text for CBSE class 10 English Chapter 5, Footprints Without Feet, from the link shared in the table. 

Recommended: CBSE Class 10 Date Sheet 2026 (REVISED)