Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 215 · 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?
   “Sneha felt very bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is scared? (a) Sahil shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Sahil froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Sahil was scared.
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is bored? (a) Diya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Diya was bored. (c) Diya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is cold? (a) Farhan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Farhan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Farhan was cold.
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Farhan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) tired
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aisha was cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Kavya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) showing (b) telling
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Riya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) showing (b) telling
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Joseph gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) telling (b) showing
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) happy (b) angry (c) sad
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is happy? (a) Pooja was happy. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Pooja’s cheek. (c) Pooja laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) angry (b) tired (c) cold
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara was really happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is cold? (a) Vihaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Vihaan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Vihaan was cold.
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) happy (b) cold (c) sad
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is scared? (a) Farhan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Farhan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Farhan was scared.
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) bored (b) sad (c) tired
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) cold
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) cold (b) bored (c) hungry
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) scared (b) cold (c) tired
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is happy? (a) Arjun folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) Arjun was happy. (c) Arjun grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is cold? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Farhan’s cheek. (b) Farhan was cold. (c) Farhan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is scared? (a) Kavya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Kavya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Kavya was scared.
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran was tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) telling (b) showing
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is tired? (a) Ananya was tired. (b) Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Ananya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) happy
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) bored (b) sad (c) tired
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) showing (b) telling
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) showing (b) telling
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) telling (b) showing
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is scared? (a) Neel’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Neel laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Neel was scared.
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is sad? (a) Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Ishaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Ishaan was sad.
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is sad? (a) Neel froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Tears filled Neel’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Neel was sad.
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is angry? (a) Kabir rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Kabir’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Kabir was angry.

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