Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 251 · 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 Diya is angry? (a) Diya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Diya was angry.
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is happy? (a) Kavya was happy. (b) Kavya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Kavya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is hungry? (a) Sahil gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Sahil’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Sahil was hungry.
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is scared? (a) Neel froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Neel was scared. (c) Neel shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is tired? (a) Aisha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Aisha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Aisha was tired.
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is tired? (a) Pooja rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Pooja was tired. (c) Pooja kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aisha felt very angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Maria rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) showing (b) telling
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is bored? (a) Sneha was bored. (b) Sneha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Sneha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Sneha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) sad
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Aarav beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Aarav was happy.
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) happy (b) bored (c) hungry
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) hungry (b) bored (c) tired
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is scared? (a) Kabir counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Kabir was scared. (c) Kabir gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is hungry? (a) Neel sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Neel was hungry. (c) Neel gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Sahil’s cheek.” (a) scared (b) hungry (c) sad
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) scared (b) angry (c) happy
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) hungry (b) bored (c) happy
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is hungry? (a) Vihaan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Vihaan was hungry. (c) Vihaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) happy
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is bored? (a) Riya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Riya was bored. (c) Riya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) scared (b) hungry (c) happy
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is happy? (a) Joseph’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Joseph was happy. (c) Joseph grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) showing (b) telling
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) angry (b) hungry (c) happy
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was really angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) bored
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) sad
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is scared? (a) Yash’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Yash was scared. (c) Yash grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is sad? (a) Dev sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Tears filled Dev’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Dev was sad.
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) telling (b) showing
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is happy? (a) Saanvi was happy. (b) Saanvi rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Saanvi hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is angry? (a) Manav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Manav was angry. (c) Manav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is cold? (a) Aarav licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Aarav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Aarav was cold.
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) showing (b) telling
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) tired (b) angry (c) happy
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) angry (b) tired (c) scared
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) angry (b) scared (c) cold
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Fatima’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) cold (b) tired (c) sad

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