Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 175 · 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?
   “Ishaan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) showing (b) telling
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Arjun was hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Imran felt very tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is angry? (a) Arjun gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Arjun’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Arjun was angry.
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is bored? (a) Diya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Diya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Diya was bored.
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is angry? (a) Priya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Priya was angry. (c) Priya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Saanvi felt very scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Dev could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) sad
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is bored? (a) Ishaan was bored. (b) Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Ishaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is scared? (a) Rohan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Rohan was scared. (c) Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is tired? (a) Imran folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) Imran was tired. (c) Imran could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) telling (b) showing
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) angry (b) tired (c) sad
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is hungry? (a) Aisha was hungry. (b) Aisha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Aisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) showing (b) telling
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) scared
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) telling (b) showing
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) sad (b) angry (c) hungry
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.” (a) happy (b) bored (c) scared
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) hungry (b) happy (c) bored
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was really hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) showing (b) telling
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) angry
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) tired
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is tired? (a) Aryan was tired. (b) Aryan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Aryan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is bored? (a) Aisha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Aisha sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Aisha was bored.
27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) tired (b) hungry (c) happy
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) tired (b) hungry (c) sad
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) telling (b) showing
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.” (a) hungry (b) tired (c) scared
31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) cold (b) tired (c) hungry
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is sad? (a) Saanvi was sad. (b) Saanvi’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Saanvi’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) tired
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is angry? (a) Dev’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Dev was angry. (c) Dev froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.” (a) happy (b) scared (c) cold
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) telling (b) showing
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) hungry (b) scared (c) cold
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is hungry? (a) Aryan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Aryan was hungry. (c) Aryan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) angry (b) tired (c) scared
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is angry? (a) Maria was angry. (b) Maria’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Maria threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”

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