Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 214 · 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?
   “Manav stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) showing (b) telling
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is happy? (a) Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Neel was happy. (c) Neel kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Nisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) scared (b) angry (c) happy
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is scared? (a) Fatima could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (b) Fatima froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Fatima was scared.
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is hungry? (a) Yash licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Yash counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Yash was hungry.
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is tired? (a) Tara’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Tara sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Tara was tired.
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Arjun laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) happy (b) bored (c) cold
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is scared? (a) Sneha was scared. (b) Sneha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Sneha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Dev’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) sad
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) hungry (b) scared (c) cold
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is bored? (a) Ishaan was bored. (b) Ishaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Ishaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) cold
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) showing (b) telling
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is tired? (a) Aarav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Aarav was tired. (c) Aarav kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.” (a) telling (b) showing
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria felt very cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) happy (b) hungry (c) scared
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) happy (b) cold (c) scared
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was really bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is scared? (a) Fatima was scared. (b) Fatima’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Fatima’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) angry
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) telling (b) showing
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is happy? (a) Riya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Riya was happy. (c) Riya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) cold (b) tired (c) bored
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) telling (b) showing
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) sad
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is cold? (a) Farhan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Farhan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Farhan was cold.
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is hungry? (a) Dev was hungry. (b) Dev stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Dev kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Rohan stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Rohan was tired.
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) bored (b) tired (c) scared
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is scared? (a) Rohan was scared. (b) Rohan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Rohan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is tired? (a) Farhan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Farhan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Farhan was tired.
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was really happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) tired (b) bored (c) cold
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is cold? (a) Diya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Diya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Diya was cold.
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is happy? (a) Sneha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Sneha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Sneha was happy.
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is cold? (a) Tenzin was cold. (b) Tenzin grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Tenzin shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) tired (b) angry (c) bored
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Priya’s cheek.” (a) tired (b) cold (c) sad
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) happy

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