Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 366 · 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 scared? (a) Sahil’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Sahil grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Sahil was scared.
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is hungry? (a) Kabir was hungry. (b) Kabir threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Kabir gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aisha sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) telling (b) showing
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Sneha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) bored (b) tired (c) angry
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aarav sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) angry
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Ishaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) showing (b) telling
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is sad? (a) Sahil’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Sahil’s cheek. (c) Sahil was sad.
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Meera’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) telling (b) showing
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Meera sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) sad (b) tired (c) happy
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is angry? (a) Maria’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Maria was angry. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Maria’s cheek.
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) bored (b) hungry (c) angry
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara was angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is scared? (a) Ananya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Ananya was scared. (c) Ananya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) scared (b) angry (c) bored
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) happy (b) hungry (c) angry
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) hungry
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is scared? (a) Sneha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Sneha was scared. (c) Sneha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) happy (b) hungry (c) bored
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was really scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) hungry (b) happy (c) bored
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is angry? (a) Fatima froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Fatima’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Fatima was angry.
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is cold? (a) Kabir was cold. (b) Kabir hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Kabir shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) happy (b) cold (c) bored
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is happy? (a) Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Neel’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Neel was happy.
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was really bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is sad? (a) Ishaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Ishaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Ishaan was sad.
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is tired? (a) Pooja dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Pooja’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Pooja was tired.
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) happy (b) bored (c) scared
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) showing (b) telling
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was really bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) happy
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Imran’s cheek.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) hungry
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is bored? (a) Sahil counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Sahil was bored. (c) Sahil folded his arms and glared at his brother.
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is tired? (a) Vihaan was tired. (b) Vihaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Vihaan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) telling (b) showing
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) telling (b) showing

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