Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 134 · 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 kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) bored (b) sad (c) cold
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Ishaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) cold (b) sad (c) happy
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Rohan felt very scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Fatima was really cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Pooja’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) showing (b) telling
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is hungry? (a) Sahil beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Sahil gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Sahil was hungry.
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aryan stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) showing (b) telling
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aarav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) telling (b) showing
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Rohan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) cold
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) tired (b) angry (c) scared
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) scared (b) cold (c) hungry
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Rohan’s cheek.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) cold
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is happy? (a) Arjun was happy. (b) Arjun kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Arjun beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) hungry
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is angry? (a) Ishaan was angry. (b) Ishaan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Ishaan’s cheek.
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) hungry (b) sad (c) bored
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is sad? (a) Aryan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Aryan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Aryan was sad.
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is bored? (a) Arjun sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Arjun dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Arjun was bored.
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) scared (b) bored (c) cold
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) telling (b) showing
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is tired? (a) Neel’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Neel beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Neel was tired.
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) telling (b) showing
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) scared (b) cold (c) angry
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is hungry? (a) Neel was hungry. (b) Neel kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Neel’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is hungry? (a) Arjun was hungry. (b) Arjun shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Arjun licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was really hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is tired? (a) Arjun was tired. (b) Arjun laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Arjun could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is hungry? (a) Riya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Riya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Riya was hungry.
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) sad (b) hungry (c) cold
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya felt very scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya felt very scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek. (b) Arjun was sad. (c) Arjun threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) angry
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) angry (b) hungry (c) cold
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) telling (b) showing
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is bored? (a) Kabir was bored. (b) Kabir beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Kabir kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was really angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) hungry (b) tired (c) bored

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