Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 284 · 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?
   “Sahil’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) hungry (b) sad (c) tired
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Dev’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) angry (b) tired (c) scared
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is happy? (a) Tara kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Tara was happy. (c) Tara hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is bored? (a) Ishaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Ishaan was bored. (c) Ishaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is cold? (a) Manav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Manav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Manav was cold.
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Manav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) showing (b) telling
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) showing (b) telling
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is bored? (a) Nisha was bored. (b) Nisha folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Nisha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tears filled Ananya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) bored (b) tired (c) sad
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is hungry? (a) Farhan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Farhan was hungry. (c) Farhan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is hungry? (a) Aryan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Aryan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Aryan was hungry.
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) telling (b) showing
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was really bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is hungry? (a) Aarav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Aarav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Aarav was hungry.
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is bored? (a) Riya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Riya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Riya was bored.
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is sad? (a) Maria was sad. (b) Maria’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Maria sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) happy
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) cold (b) hungry (c) sad
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is cold? (a) Ishaan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Ishaan was cold. (c) Ishaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) scared (b) sad (c) cold
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph felt very bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is scared? (a) Pooja was scared. (b) Tears filled Pooja’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Pooja’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is tired? (a) Simran was tired. (b) Simran rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Simran sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) angry (b) sad (c) cold
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) happy (b) scared (c) hungry
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan folded his arms and glared at his brother.” (a) showing (b) telling
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is hungry? (a) Imran shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Imran was hungry. (c) Imran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is sad? (a) Meera kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Meera was sad. (c) Tears filled Meera’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is hungry? (a) Arjun was hungry. (b) Arjun’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Arjun froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is bored? (a) Aarav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Aarav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Aarav was bored.
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima felt very hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) bored
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) bored (b) sad (c) scared
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) telling (b) showing
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) bored (b) sad (c) happy
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) bored
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is cold? (a) Rohan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Rohan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Rohan was cold.
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Simran’s cheek.” (a) telling (b) showing

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