Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 103 · 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.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Pooja was really sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is hungry? (a) Simran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Simran was hungry. (c) Simran gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is scared? (a) Yash was scared. (b) Yash’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Yash’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is tired? (a) Maria rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Maria was tired. (c) Maria dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is scared? (a) Ishaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Ishaan was scared. (c) Ishaan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Priya was tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Maria was really bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Yash was sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Nisha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) scared (b) angry (c) happy
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is tired? (a) Aryan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Aryan was tired. (c) Aryan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is tired? (a) Kavya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Kavya was tired. (c) Kavya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash felt very sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) bored
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) tired (b) hungry (c) cold
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) showing (b) telling
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is cold? (a) Pooja’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Pooja was cold. (c) Pooja’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.” (a) telling (b) showing
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev folded his arms and glared at his brother.” (a) showing (b) telling
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) telling (b) showing
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) showing (b) telling
21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) sad
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) scared (b) bored (c) happy
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is happy? (a) Pooja’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Pooja was happy. (c) Pooja grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) telling (b) showing
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is bored? (a) Aisha was bored. (b) Aisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Aisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) telling (b) showing
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil felt very tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) scared (b) angry (c) bored
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) scared (b) sad (c) hungry
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is angry? (a) Vihaan was angry. (b) Vihaan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Vihaan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) telling (b) showing
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is hungry? (a) Rohan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Rohan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Rohan was hungry.
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) bored
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is happy? (a) Tenzin hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Tenzin was happy. (c) Tenzin gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is sad? (a) Zoya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Zoya beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Zoya was sad.
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) hungry
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) bored (b) cold (c) tired
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) angry (b) tired (c) sad
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash was really tired.” (a) showing (b) telling

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