Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 278 · 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 angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Yash froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) happy (b) tired (c) scared
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Priya folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) telling (b) showing
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Arjun kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) bored
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is tired? (a) Imran was tired. (b) Imran’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Imran could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is hungry? (a) Tara sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Tara kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Tara was hungry.
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Kabir was really tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Imran froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) happy (b) cold (c) scared
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Fatima dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) telling (b) showing
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is angry? (a) Tara was angry. (b) Tara stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Tara grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Meera’s cheek.” (a) showing (b) telling
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is hungry? (a) Saanvi’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Saanvi’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Saanvi was hungry.
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) tired (b) bored (c) happy
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) showing (b) telling
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) hungry (b) scared (c) tired
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) telling (b) showing
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) telling (b) showing
21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Arjun’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) tired (b) angry (c) sad
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) scared (b) angry (c) tired
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) scared
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) tired
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is scared? (a) Aarav was scared. (b) Aarav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Aarav gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is tired? (a) Fatima’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Fatima was tired. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Fatima’s cheek.
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is sad? (a) Riya was sad. (b) Riya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Tears filled Riya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) telling (b) showing
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is tired? (a) Riya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (b) Riya was tired. (c) Riya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) sad
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) scared
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is tired? (a) Farhan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Farhan was tired. (c) Farhan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is happy? (a) Dev grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Dev was happy. (c) Dev counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) cold (b) angry (c) tired
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) happy (b) tired (c) bored
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) telling (b) showing
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is bored? (a) Diya was bored. (b) Diya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Diya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is hungry? (a) Maria gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Maria was hungry. (c) Maria grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is sad? (a) Imran rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Imran’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Imran was sad.

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