Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 165 · 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?
   “Zoya was really sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is scared? (a) Maria was scared. (b) Maria could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Maria gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is bored? (a) Farhan was bored. (b) Farhan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Farhan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Tears filled Farhan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) showing (b) telling
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is angry? (a) Riya beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Riya was angry. (c) Riya folded her arms and glared at her brother.
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Kabir laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) happy (b) scared (c) angry
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Kabir laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) showing (b) telling
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “A tear rolled slowly down Sneha’s cheek.” (a) happy (b) tired (c) sad
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is hungry? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Priya’s cheek. (b) Priya was hungry. (c) Priya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) telling (b) showing
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is tired? (a) Kabir could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Kabir was tired. (c) Kabir’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria was really cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) sad
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is hungry? (a) Vihaan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Vihaan was hungry. (c) Vihaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) bored (b) hungry (c) tired
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is cold? (a) Simran shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Simran folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Simran was cold.
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) telling (b) showing
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) scared (b) bored (c) tired
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is hungry? (a) Kavya was hungry. (b) Kavya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Kavya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is angry? (a) Aryan beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Aryan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Aryan was angry.
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was really cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is sad? (a) Ishaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Ishaan was sad. (c) Ishaan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) angry (b) cold (c) scared
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Fatima’s cheek.” (a) bored (b) angry (c) sad
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) sad (b) hungry (c) cold
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is scared? (a) Meera stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Meera was scared. (c) Meera’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Nisha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) telling (b) showing
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Farhan’s cheek.” (a) showing (b) telling
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is sad? (a) Yash was sad. (b) Yash stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Tears filled Yash’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is scared? (a) Kavya was scared. (b) Kavya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Kavya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is cold? (a) Manav rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Manav was cold. (c) Manav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) telling (b) showing
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) hungry (b) happy (c) angry
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is angry? (a) Saanvi was angry. (b) Saanvi stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Saanvi dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) tired
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) happy (b) hungry (c) tired
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) angry (b) hungry (c) cold
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan was scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) telling (b) showing

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