Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

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

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