Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 132 · 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?
   “Aarav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) hungry (b) sad (c) scared
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Neel sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) hungry
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is angry? (a) Kavya was angry. (b) Kavya beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Kavya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sahil was sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Ishaan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) sad (b) angry (c) cold
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Rohan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) telling (b) showing
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is happy? (a) Meera’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Meera was happy. (c) Meera grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tara sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) scared (b) bored (c) hungry
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is cold? (a) Zoya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Zoya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Zoya was cold.
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) happy (b) tired (c) sad
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was really bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is angry? (a) Kabir’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Kabir was angry. (c) Kabir licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is happy? (a) Aisha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Aisha was happy. (c) Aisha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) cold (b) hungry (c) angry
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) telling (b) showing
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Tara’s cheek. (b) Tara’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Tara was sad.
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph was really happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is tired? (a) Tenzin’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Tenzin was tired. (c) Tenzin’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) showing (b) telling
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is scared? (a) Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Aarav gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Aarav was scared.
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is sad? (a) Aarav was sad. (b) Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Aarav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) showing (b) telling
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is scared? (a) Manav was scared. (b) Manav gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Manav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan felt very sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) hungry
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) tired
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) hungry (b) tired (c) happy
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) telling (b) showing
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is happy? (a) Vihaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Vihaan was happy. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Vihaan’s cheek.
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) happy (b) cold (c) tired
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) scared
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya was really sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) sad (b) angry (c) happy
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was really hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was really angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.” (a) sad (b) cold (c) angry
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil felt very sad.” (a) telling (b) showing

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