Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 352 · 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 Sahil is happy? (a) Sahil laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Sahil shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Sahil was happy.
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Fatima beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) happy (b) bored (c) sad
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Farhan was happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is tired? (a) Manav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Manav was tired. (c) Manav could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tears filled Arjun’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) tired
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is scared? (a) Meera’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Meera laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Meera was scared.
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Kabir was scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Priya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) cold (b) bored (c) angry
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Priya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.” (a) angry (b) sad (c) scared
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was really angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is sad? (a) Tara’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Tara threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Tara was sad.
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is cold? (a) Kabir was cold. (b) Kabir shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Kabir stamped his foot and slammed the door.
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) tired
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is happy? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Diya’s cheek. (b) Diya beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Diya was happy.
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) scared (b) bored (c) hungry
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) showing (b) telling
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is bored? (a) Meera’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Meera was bored. (c) Meera sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Yash’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) showing (b) telling
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) scared (b) tired (c) cold
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is cold? (a) Tenzin drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Tenzin’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Tenzin was cold.
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is happy? (a) Rohan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Rohan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Rohan was happy.
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) telling (b) showing
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is happy? (a) Nisha was happy. (b) Nisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Nisha sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) showing (b) telling
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is scared? (a) Ananya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Ananya was scared.
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is bored? (a) Arjun stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Arjun was bored. (c) Arjun drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) sad
31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) hungry
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Aisha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) telling (b) showing
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) sad (b) tired (c) bored
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav felt very cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) sad (b) cold (c) angry
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) tired (b) bored (c) cold
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) telling (b) showing
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) tired
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) tired

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