Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 363 · 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 Diya is happy? (a) Diya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Diya beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Diya was happy.
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “A tear rolled slowly down Manav’s cheek.” (a) angry (b) sad (c) hungry
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is angry? (a) Vihaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Vihaan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Vihaan was angry.
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is scared? (a) Neel gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Neel’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Neel was scared.
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Priya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) happy
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is cold? (a) Vihaan was cold. (b) Vihaan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Vihaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Maria counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) bored
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is scared? (a) Kabir’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Kabir was scared. (c) Kabir gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is scared? (a) Manav was scared. (b) Manav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Manav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) angry (b) tired (c) scared
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is tired? (a) Dev counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Dev dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Dev was tired.
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is happy? (a) Ananya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Ananya was happy. (c) Ananya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) telling (b) showing
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) sad (b) hungry (c) tired
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is happy? (a) Priya was happy. (b) Priya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Priya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is bored? (a) Aarav was bored. (b) Tears filled Aarav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) telling (b) showing
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is happy? (a) Zoya was happy. (b) Zoya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Zoya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is bored? (a) Dev was bored. (b) Dev gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Dev counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) telling (b) showing
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is sad? (a) Yash’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Yash was sad. (c) Yash’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is cold? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Riya’s cheek. (b) Riya was cold. (c) Riya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) sad
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel felt very angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) telling (b) showing
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is cold? (a) Rohan was cold. (b) Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Rohan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) happy
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) scared (b) cold (c) tired
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya felt very happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is angry? (a) Zoya was angry. (b) Zoya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Zoya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Zoya’s cheek.” (a) telling (b) showing
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) sad (b) hungry (c) cold
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is sad? (a) Farhan was sad. (b) Farhan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Farhan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav felt very angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is bored? (a) Priya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Priya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Priya was bored.
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) cold (b) angry (c) bored
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is hungry? (a) Sahil froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Sahil was hungry. (c) Sahil kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is scared? (a) Rohan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Rohan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Rohan was scared.
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) happy (b) scared (c) angry
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is tired? (a) Manav was tired. (b) Manav kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Manav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.

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