Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

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

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