Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 235 · 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 bored? (a) Ananya was bored. (b) Ananya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Ananya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Saanvi’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) scared (b) hungry (c) cold
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Dev’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) showing (b) telling
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aarav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) hungry (b) sad (c) happy
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is happy? (a) Meera’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Meera grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Meera was happy.
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Dev was really angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Arjun folded his arms and glared at his brother.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) tired
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is cold? (a) Aarav was cold. (b) Aarav rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Aarav kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aarav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) hungry (b) tired (c) scared
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is hungry? (a) Rohan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) Rohan was hungry. (c) Rohan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) bored (b) hungry (c) happy
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) showing (b) telling
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) telling (b) showing
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is angry? (a) Neel drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Neel folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Neel was angry.
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) hungry
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is angry? (a) Joseph threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Joseph was angry. (c) Tears filled Joseph’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is angry? (a) Kavya was angry. (b) Kavya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Kavya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is sad? (a) Imran was sad. (b) Imran sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Imran drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) telling (b) showing
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is happy? (a) Neel was happy. (b) Neel beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Neel dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is angry? (a) Yash was angry. (b) Yash folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Yash rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is scared? (a) Zoya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Zoya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Zoya was scared.
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is sad? (a) Nisha was sad. (b) Nisha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Nisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) bored
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is bored? (a) Rohan was bored. (b) Rohan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Rohan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) hungry (b) scared (c) tired
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is tired? (a) Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Yash was tired. (c) Yash’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is happy? (a) Aisha was happy. (b) Aisha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Aisha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) hungry
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) sad
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is happy? (a) Imran could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Imran beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Imran was happy.
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is angry? (a) Fatima’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Fatima folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Fatima was angry.
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) angry
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) cold (b) sad (c) bored
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is bored? (a) Joseph was bored. (b) Joseph’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Joseph kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is bored? (a) Dev hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Dev was bored. (c) Dev drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) sad (b) tired (c) bored
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is scared? (a) Kabir gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Kabir sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Kabir was scared.
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) scared (b) angry (c) happy
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) bored

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