Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

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

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