Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 120 · 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 tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) hungry (b) scared (c) angry
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is cold? (a) Kavya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Kavya was cold. (c) Kavya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sneha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) showing (b) telling
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is angry? (a) Simran’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Tears filled Simran’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Simran was angry.
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is bored? (a) Neel’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Neel counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Neel was bored.
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Tears filled Nisha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) showing (b) telling
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Meera shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) cold (b) scared (c) hungry
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Saanvi sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) telling (b) showing
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is angry? (a) Aarav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Aarav was angry. (c) Aarav stamped his foot and slammed the door.
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) happy (b) hungry (c) bored
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is tired? (a) Pooja’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Pooja was tired. (c) Pooja folded her arms and glared at her brother.
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph felt very hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) telling (b) showing
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav felt very angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is cold? (a) Zoya was cold. (b) Zoya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Zoya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is sad? (a) Farhan was sad. (b) Farhan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Tears filled Farhan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is cold? (a) Simran drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Simran was cold. (c) Simran rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is bored? (a) Diya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Diya was bored. (c) Diya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran was cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya felt very sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is sad? (a) Diya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Diya was sad. (c) Diya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.” (a) bored (b) hungry (c) sad
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was really cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) tired (b) cold (c) happy
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) showing (b) telling
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Riya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) sad (b) tired (c) hungry
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is scared? (a) Imran was scared. (b) Imran rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Imran gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is sad? (a) Joseph’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Joseph was sad. (c) Joseph’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) showing (b) telling
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) hungry
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) showing (b) telling
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) happy (b) angry (c) tired
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph was tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) scared (b) hungry (c) sad
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is angry? (a) Neel was angry. (b) Tears filled Neel’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Neel folded his arms and glared at his brother.
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) hungry (b) sad (c) angry
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is sad? (a) Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Diya was sad. (c) Diya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin felt very sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) angry (b) bored (c) sad
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is happy? (a) Maria was happy. (b) Maria laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Maria rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.

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