Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 324 · 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.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Tears filled Aarav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) telling (b) showing
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Joseph’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) hungry (b) sad (c) angry
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Nisha was scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aisha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) hungry
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Dev could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) happy (b) tired (c) cold
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Rohan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) telling (b) showing
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is hungry? (a) Tears filled Farhan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Farhan was hungry. (c) Farhan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is cold? (a) Yash’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Yash gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Yash was cold.
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Neel folded his arms and glared at his brother.” (a) showing (b) telling
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is happy? (a) Riya was happy. (b) Riya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Riya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) sad (b) angry (c) cold
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) bored (b) cold (c) scared
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) hungry
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) cold (b) sad (c) hungry
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) showing (b) telling
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is cold? (a) Dev gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Dev was cold. (c) Dev rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) angry
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) cold
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) happy (b) cold (c) hungry
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is tired? (a) Kabir gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Kabir was tired. (c) Kabir could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was really scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) bored
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.” (a) telling (b) showing
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan folded his arms and glared at his brother.” (a) bored (b) angry (c) hungry
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Aisha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) telling (b) showing
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is sad? (a) Farhan was sad. (b) Tears filled Farhan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Farhan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is hungry? (a) Tears filled Dev’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Dev kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Dev was hungry.
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) telling (b) showing
31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) scared (b) bored (c) hungry
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is cold? (a) Aryan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Aryan stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Aryan was cold.
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav felt very angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) hungry (b) tired (c) scared
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) showing (b) telling
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is happy? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Joseph’s cheek. (b) Joseph grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Joseph was happy.
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) showing (b) telling
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) angry (b) bored (c) sad
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is tired? (a) Saanvi sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Saanvi was tired. (c) Saanvi’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is hungry? (a) Imran was hungry. (b) Imran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Imran licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.

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