Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 336 · 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 Aarav is cold? (a) Aarav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Aarav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Aarav was cold.
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Joseph felt very bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) scared
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is tired? (a) Sneha was tired. (b) Sneha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Sneha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tears filled Yash’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) cold (b) sad (c) happy
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Saanvi kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) telling (b) showing
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Maria’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) sad
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Ananya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) happy (b) angry (c) cold
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sahil sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) telling (b) showing
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan folded his arms and glared at his brother.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) angry
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) scared (b) tired (c) bored
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) showing (b) telling
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) showing (b) telling
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is sad? (a) Rohan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Rohan was sad. (c) Rohan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) cold
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is happy? (a) Farhan was happy. (b) Farhan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Farhan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is sad? (a) Aarav was sad. (b) Aarav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Aarav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) cold (b) scared (c) happy
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav felt very angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) telling (b) showing
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is happy? (a) Nisha was happy. (b) Nisha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Nisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) cold (b) scared (c) tired
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) tired (b) bored (c) scared
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav was happy. (b) Aarav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Aarav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) scared (b) angry (c) happy
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) hungry (b) scared (c) happy
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) tired
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is cold? (a) Kavya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Kavya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Kavya was cold.
31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) bored (b) sad (c) happy
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) showing (b) telling
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev felt very sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Riya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) happy (b) scared (c) sad
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) hungry (b) happy (c) cold
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan was cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) hungry (b) tired (c) bored
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is tired? (a) Imran licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Imran rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Imran was tired.
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is scared? (a) Aryan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Aryan was scared. (c) Aryan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya felt very tired.” (a) telling (b) showing

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