Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

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

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