Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 380 · 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 Vihaan is cold? (a) Vihaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Vihaan was cold. (c) Vihaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Aarav was happy.
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is happy? (a) Rohan was happy. (b) Rohan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Rohan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is hungry? (a) Saanvi gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Saanvi was hungry. (c) Saanvi drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Pooja kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) angry (b) sad (c) bored
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “A tear rolled slowly down Diya’s cheek.” (a) sad (b) hungry (c) bored
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Diya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) showing (b) telling
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Tears filled Pooja’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) telling (b) showing
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is tired? (a) Ananya was tired. (b) Ananya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Ananya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) showing (b) telling
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan was sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is scared? (a) Farhan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Farhan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Farhan was scared.
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is sad? (a) Meera grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Tears filled Meera’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Meera was sad.
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) bored (b) sad (c) cold
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is bored? (a) Joseph drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Joseph was bored. (c) Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is scared? (a) Tenzin’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Tenzin’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Tenzin was scared.
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) scared (b) cold (c) angry
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.” (a) scared (b) bored (c) angry
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) sad
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is bored? (a) Tara kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Tara rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Tara was bored.
21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) bored
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) happy (b) hungry (c) scared
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is hungry? (a) Manav was hungry. (b) Manav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Manav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) bored (b) tired (c) sad
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is sad? (a) Maria’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Maria was sad. (c) Maria kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) telling (b) showing
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) tired (b) cold (c) hungry
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is tired? (a) Maria was tired. (b) Maria sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Maria rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) bored (b) angry (c) sad
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is tired? (a) Arjun was tired. (b) Arjun dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Arjun threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) telling (b) showing
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is scared? (a) Yash froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Yash kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Yash was scared.
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is sad? (a) Vihaan was sad. (b) Vihaan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Vihaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is tired? (a) Priya was tired. (b) Tears filled Priya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Priya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is bored? (a) Ananya was bored. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Ananya’s cheek. (c) Ananya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is cold? (a) Aarav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Aarav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Aarav was cold.
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is bored? (a) Kabir kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Kabir kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Kabir was bored.
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) showing (b) telling
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is hungry? (a) Riya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Riya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Riya was hungry.

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