Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 285 · 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?
   “Tenzin stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) angry (b) sad (c) tired
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Sahil hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) happy (b) hungry (c) angry
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sahil laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) telling (b) showing
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aarav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) scared
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sneha was hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is hungry? (a) Aryan was hungry. (b) Aryan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Aryan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aryan stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tenzin rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) cold
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Manav was scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan felt very bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is sad? (a) Tara gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Tara was sad. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Tara’s cheek.
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) angry
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is tired? (a) Maria counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Maria’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Maria was tired.
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is angry? (a) Neel was angry. (b) Neel folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Neel beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is tired? (a) Aisha was tired. (b) Aisha could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Aisha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is hungry? (a) Ishaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Ishaan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Ishaan was hungry.
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) bored (b) scared (c) angry
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) showing (b) telling
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) scared (b) hungry (c) tired
21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) sad
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is hungry? (a) Aryan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Aryan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Aryan was hungry.
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is cold? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Neel’s cheek. (b) Neel rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Neel was cold.
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is sad? (a) Arjun was sad. (b) Arjun’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek.
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.” (a) angry (b) tired (c) hungry
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is sad? (a) Joseph was sad. (b) Joseph could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Joseph sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) happy (b) bored (c) sad
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is angry? (a) Tara threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Tara kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Tara was angry.
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) hungry
31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) bored
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) showing (b) telling
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) happy (b) tired (c) scared
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was really scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) sad
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) hungry (b) bored (c) sad
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) showing (b) telling
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is bored? (a) Sahil’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Sahil kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Sahil was bored.
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) telling (b) showing
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was really angry.” (a) telling (b) showing

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