Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 150 · 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?
   “Yash hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) telling (b) showing
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is scared? (a) Simran’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Simran was scared. (c) Simran counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aarav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) telling (b) showing
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Manav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) sad (b) angry (c) tired
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Vihaan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) angry (b) tired (c) happy
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Priya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) bored (b) cold (c) happy
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Sahil threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) sad (b) scared (c) angry
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) showing (b) telling
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “A tear rolled slowly down Tara’s cheek.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) bored
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is happy? (a) Zoya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Zoya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Zoya was happy.
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) happy (b) angry (c) bored
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) hungry
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav felt very tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is tired? (a) Saanvi folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Saanvi was tired. (c) Saanvi’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) telling (b) showing
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) bored (b) cold (c) happy
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is hungry? (a) Kabir was hungry. (b) Kabir licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Kabir drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash was really angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is cold? (a) Tara’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Tara was cold. (c) Tara beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) sad
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was really bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is happy? (a) Aisha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Aisha’s cheek. (c) Aisha was happy.
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is bored? (a) Tenzin was bored. (b) Tenzin sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Tenzin beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is sad? (a) Aarav was sad. (b) Aarav kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Tears filled Aarav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya felt very sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) showing (b) telling
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) tired
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is sad? (a) Tears filled Vihaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Vihaan was sad. (c) Vihaan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) cold
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is tired? (a) Yash counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Yash could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Yash was tired.
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) bored (b) tired (c) cold
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.” (a) bored (b) angry (c) happy
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is tired? (a) Priya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Priya was tired. (c) Priya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is scared? (a) Sahil kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Sahil was scared. (c) Sahil froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) cold (b) hungry (c) tired
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) hungry (b) tired (c) happy
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was really happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) telling (b) showing

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