Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 249 · 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 Manav is angry? (a) Manav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Manav was angry. (c) Manav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is scared? (a) Dev’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Dev hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Dev was scared.
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is happy? (a) Rohan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Rohan was happy. (c) Rohan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tears filled Aryan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) scared
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is sad? (a) Dev rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Dev was sad. (c) Dev sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aisha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) showing (b) telling
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is happy? (a) Arjun laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Arjun was happy. (c) Arjun licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is scared? (a) Aryan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Aryan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Aryan was scared.
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Tears filled Priya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) showing (b) telling
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is scared? (a) Meera was scared. (b) Meera’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Meera’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) telling (b) showing
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) telling (b) showing
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is cold? (a) Fatima’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Fatima’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Fatima was cold.
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) tired (b) cold (c) scared
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is hungry? (a) Yash’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Yash froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Yash was hungry.
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) sad (b) cold (c) angry
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) happy (b) scared (c) bored
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) telling (b) showing
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is scared? (a) Nisha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Nisha was scared. (c) Nisha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) showing (b) telling
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) showing (b) telling
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) telling (b) showing
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) angry
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) bored (b) sad (c) angry
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is scared? (a) Simran was scared. (b) Simran’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Simran gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) hungry (b) scared (c) angry
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is happy? (a) Vihaan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Vihaan was happy. (c) Vihaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) showing (b) telling
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) bored (b) tired (c) scared
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is tired? (a) Arjun was tired. (b) Arjun’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Arjun could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is bored? (a) Vihaan was bored. (b) Vihaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Vihaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) showing (b) telling
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is cold? (a) Riya was cold. (b) Riya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Riya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is scared? (a) Rohan was scared. (b) Rohan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Rohan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is scared? (a) Tenzin drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Tenzin gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Tenzin was scared.
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is bored? (a) Pooja drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Pooja was bored. (c) Pooja gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is hungry? (a) Aryan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Aryan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Aryan was hungry.
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan folded his arms and glared at his brother.” (a) showing (b) telling
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) cold (b) tired (c) scared
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is happy? (a) Sahil was happy. (b) Sahil drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Sahil grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.

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