Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 311 · 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 sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is tired? (a) Saanvi was tired. (b) Saanvi could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Saanvi stamped her foot and slammed the door.
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is tired? (a) Aisha was tired. (b) Aisha drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Aisha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is angry? (a) Priya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Priya was angry. (c) Priya stamped her foot and slammed the door.
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aarav dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) hungry (b) tired (c) bored
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan was tired. (b) Rohan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Rohan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Saanvi sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) angry (b) bored (c) hungry
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Tenzin’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) showing (b) telling
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Manav beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) telling (b) showing
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Neel drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) bored (b) hungry (c) sad
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan was angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) bored
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is sad? (a) Priya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Priya was sad. (c) Priya stamped her foot and slammed the door.
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) showing (b) telling
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran folded his arms and glared at his brother.” (a) cold (b) hungry (c) angry
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is scared? (a) Yash rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Yash was scared. (c) Yash’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is happy? (a) Kabir hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Kabir’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Kabir was happy.
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is cold? (a) Aisha was cold. (b) Aisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Aisha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) sad
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.” (a) showing (b) telling
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) telling (b) showing
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Ananya’s cheek.” (a) showing (b) telling
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Meera’s cheek.” (a) telling (b) showing
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) happy (b) angry (c) hungry
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was really cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is cold? (a) Dev beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Dev was cold. (c) Dev shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) angry
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran was really sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is happy? (a) Pooja grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Pooja drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Pooja was happy.
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) showing (b) telling
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is bored? (a) Tara counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Tara rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Tara was bored.
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) telling (b) showing
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) telling (b) showing
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) angry (b) tired (c) bored
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan was really happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) angry (b) tired (c) scared
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is tired? (a) Kabir’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Kabir dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Kabir was tired.
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) hungry

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