Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

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

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