Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 192 · 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 Ananya is tired? (a) Ananya was tired. (b) Ananya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Ananya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is happy? (a) Ananya beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Ananya was happy. (c) Ananya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Simran laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) bored
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is tired? (a) Ishaan was tired. (b) Ishaan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Ishaan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sneha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) telling (b) showing
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Farhan was really angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Priya was cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is scared? (a) Saanvi was scared. (b) Saanvi’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Saanvi dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is angry? (a) Sahil stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Sahil was angry. (c) Sahil’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) hungry (b) happy (c) scared
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) bored (b) sad (c) tired
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is hungry? (a) Imran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Imran’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Imran was hungry.
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) cold (b) hungry (c) angry
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) happy (b) tired (c) hungry
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya felt very happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.” (a) showing (b) telling
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is sad? (a) Aarav was sad. (b) Tears filled Aarav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Aarav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.” (a) scared (b) bored (c) hungry
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is tired? (a) Sahil was tired. (b) Sahil dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Sahil threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) showing (b) telling
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is happy? (a) Imran sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Imran beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Imran was happy.
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is cold? (a) Kabir’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Kabir sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Kabir was cold.
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is hungry? (a) Kavya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Kavya was hungry. (c) Kavya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) cold (b) tired (c) scared
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) scared (b) bored (c) hungry
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) hungry (b) tired (c) sad
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is cold? (a) Priya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Priya was cold. (c) Priya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is happy? (a) Tenzin’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Tenzin beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Tenzin was happy.
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) telling (b) showing
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) bored (b) hungry (c) happy
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) telling (b) showing
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is scared? (a) Aisha was scared. (b) Aisha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Aisha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) scared (b) hungry (c) sad
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) cold
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is bored? (a) Meera was bored. (b) Meera’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Meera kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) telling (b) showing
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is angry? (a) Riya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Riya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Riya was angry.
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is cold? (a) Kavya beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Kavya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Kavya was cold.
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) cold (b) angry (c) tired
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is tired? (a) Simran’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Simran was tired. (c) Simran rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.

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