Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 101 · 40 questions

Writer's tip (Show the actions): A telling sentence names the feeling: was sad, felt tired. A showing sentence describes actions, faces and bodies: tears, yawns, shaking knees. Pick the showing sentence that fits the right feeling.

1. 1.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Arjun’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) bored
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Priya felt very cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is cold? (a) Arjun rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Arjun sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Arjun was cold.
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Imran’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.” (a) angry (b) bored (c) happy
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Saanvi grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) happy (b) scared (c) cold
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is sad? (a) Meera was sad. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Meera’s cheek. (c) Meera laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is bored? (a) Aarav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Aarav was bored. (c) Aarav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Fatima’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) cold
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is angry? (a) Rohan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Rohan was angry. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Rohan’s cheek.
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan felt very scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is scared? (a) Diya was scared. (b) Diya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Diya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is sad? (a) Zoya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Zoya was sad. (c) Zoya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) angry (b) bored (c) tired
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) cold (b) sad (c) bored
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is hungry? (a) Arjun kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Arjun beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Arjun was hungry.
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.” (a) telling (b) showing
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran was sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) hungry (b) sad (c) scared
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) angry
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) happy
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) cold (b) sad (c) scared
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha felt very scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.” (a) scared (b) bored (c) angry
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.” (a) showing (b) telling
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) telling (b) showing
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is sad? (a) Nisha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Nisha’s cheek. (c) Nisha was sad.
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) telling (b) showing
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) telling (b) showing
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) showing (b) telling
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya felt very happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) cold (b) tired (c) hungry
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara was happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) angry (b) tired (c) sad
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is sad? (a) Maria counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Maria was sad. (c) Maria sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) sad (b) angry (c) cold
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) scared (b) tired (c) sad

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