Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 297 · 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?
   “Saanvi rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) bored (b) cold (c) tired
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Sahil beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) scared (b) cold (c) happy
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Simran sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) showing (b) telling
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Fatima kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) happy (b) bored (c) hungry
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Kavya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) angry (b) bored (c) scared
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is cold? (a) Sneha was cold. (b) Sneha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Sneha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Yash sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) telling (b) showing
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Ananya felt very scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is angry? (a) Manav could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Manav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Manav was angry.
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) showing (b) telling
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Saanvi’s cheek.” (a) scared (b) hungry (c) sad
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is sad? (a) Joseph was sad. (b) Joseph gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Joseph’s cheek.
13. 13.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 sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) showing (b) telling
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) angry (b) hungry (c) tired
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is scared? (a) Fatima was scared. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Fatima’s cheek. (c) Fatima’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) hungry (b) scared (c) happy
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is hungry? (a) Kavya was hungry. (b) Kavya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Kavya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is angry? (a) Yash was angry. (b) Yash threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Yash’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) cold
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) telling (b) showing
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) showing (b) telling
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) cold (b) tired (c) scared
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is happy? (a) Arjun was happy. (b) Arjun froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Arjun hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) telling (b) showing
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is happy? (a) Priya was happy. (b) Priya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Priya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) angry (b) hungry (c) sad
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is angry? (a) Aryan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Aryan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Aryan was angry.
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is scared? (a) Ananya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Ananya was scared. (c) Ananya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) telling (b) showing
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) bored (b) cold (c) sad
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) showing (b) telling
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is sad? (a) Fatima’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Fatima was sad. (c) Tears filled Fatima’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is happy? (a) Riya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Riya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Riya was happy.
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) angry
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan was bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is angry? (a) Pooja was angry. (b) Pooja threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Pooja beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is happy? (a) Manav was happy. (b) Manav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Manav’s cheek.

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