Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 310 · 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?
   “Manav beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) angry
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sneha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.” (a) showing (b) telling
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Arjun stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Kabir rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) sad (b) cold (c) tired
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Neel was hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tears filled Nisha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) cold (b) scared (c) sad
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is scared? (a) Sneha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Sneha was scared. (c) Sneha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aisha felt very sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Farhan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) tired (b) bored (c) sad
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is happy? (a) Imran’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Imran was happy. (c) Imran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is tired? (a) Fatima’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Fatima sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Fatima was tired.
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) happy (b) scared (c) angry
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) showing (b) telling
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil felt very bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) angry
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) telling (b) showing
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) showing (b) telling
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan was happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) telling (b) showing
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is scared? (a) Aryan was scared. (b) Aryan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Aryan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is tired? (a) Priya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Priya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Priya was tired.
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is happy? (a) Joseph laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Joseph was happy. (c) Joseph sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) sad
27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) cold (b) tired (c) bored
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) telling (b) showing
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is bored? (a) Aarav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Aarav kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Aarav was bored.
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is scared? (a) Tenzin froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Tenzin was scared. (c) Tenzin folded his arms and glared at his brother.
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) telling (b) showing
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) showing (b) telling
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Fatima’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) sad
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is sad? (a) Aryan was sad. (b) Aryan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Aryan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is sad? (a) Dev grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Dev sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Dev was sad.
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) bored
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) hungry (b) sad (c) bored
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja felt very sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is sad? (a) Vihaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Vihaan was sad. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Vihaan’s cheek.
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) angry (b) tired (c) happy

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