Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 279 · 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 feeling does this sentence show?
   “Nisha folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) angry (b) bored (c) cold
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Arjun shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) telling (b) showing
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is happy? (a) Simran sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Simran beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Simran was happy.
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is sad? (a) Neel was sad. (b) Tears filled Neel’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Neel dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is happy? (a) Manav was happy. (b) Manav beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Manav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Sahil’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) scared (b) cold (c) sad
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tara dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) tired
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Vihaan felt very tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is sad? (a) Dev’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Dev sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Dev was sad.
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) showing (b) telling
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is angry? (a) Joseph was angry. (b) Joseph stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Joseph’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) bored (b) tired (c) scared
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is angry? (a) Dev gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Dev was angry. (c) Dev folded his arms and glared at his brother.
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan folded his arms and glared at his brother.” (a) cold (b) scared (c) angry
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is happy? (a) Saanvi grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Saanvi drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Saanvi was happy.
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) angry (b) sad (c) scared
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is angry? (a) Aisha was angry. (b) Aisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Aisha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is happy? (a) Ishaan was happy. (b) Ishaan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Ishaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) showing (b) telling
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) angry (b) hungry (c) sad
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) showing (b) telling
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is happy? (a) Simran’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Simran was happy. (c) Simran laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is hungry? (a) Dev was hungry. (b) Dev gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Dev beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is scared? (a) Tenzin counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Tenzin’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Tenzin was scared.
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) telling (b) showing
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is tired? (a) Aisha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Aisha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Aisha was tired.
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is cold? (a) Aarav was cold. (b) Aarav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Aarav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is bored? (a) Arjun was bored. (b) Arjun hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Arjun drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) scared (b) cold (c) tired
31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) bored
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph felt very angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Aarav beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Aarav was happy.
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is sad? (a) Kabir was sad. (b) Kabir’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Kabir’s cheek.
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is happy? (a) Kabir folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) Kabir laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Kabir was happy.
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is cold? (a) Tenzin was cold. (b) Tenzin gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Tenzin shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha was scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was really sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) telling (b) showing

Free creative writing lessons, practice and worksheets at talentjr.in/creative-writing-for-kids