Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 382 · 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 Fatima is tired? (a) Fatima was tired. (b) Fatima dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Tears filled Fatima’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Meera’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) showing (b) telling
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is tired? (a) Maria was tired. (b) Maria rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Maria’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is happy? (a) Fatima grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Fatima was happy. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Fatima’s cheek.
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is sad? (a) Arjun licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Arjun was sad. (c) Tears filled Arjun’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “A tear rolled slowly down Pooja’s cheek.” (a) showing (b) telling
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Yash kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) scared (b) tired (c) bored
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Kabir beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) happy
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Arjun beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) happy (b) scared (c) bored
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) hungry
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is sad? (a) Nisha was sad. (b) Nisha licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Nisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) happy (b) hungry (c) angry
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is happy? (a) Sahil was happy. (b) Sahil grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Sahil’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) telling (b) showing
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is bored? (a) Dev counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Dev shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Dev was bored.
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash was hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) angry (b) hungry (c) bored
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) sad (b) hungry (c) cold
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.” (a) showing (b) telling
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) telling (b) showing
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is sad? (a) Aarav beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Aarav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Aarav was sad.
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is bored? (a) Ananya beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Ananya was bored. (c) Ananya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is bored? (a) Ananya was bored. (b) Ananya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Ananya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) cold (b) bored (c) happy
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) showing (b) telling
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is angry? (a) Simran folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Simran was angry. (c) Simran drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) bored (b) angry (c) tired
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) showing (b) telling
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is cold? (a) Diya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Diya was cold. (c) Diya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) scared
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was really scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is hungry? (a) Dev’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Tears filled Dev’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Dev was hungry.
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is hungry? (a) Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Aarav was hungry. (c) Aarav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) bored (b) hungry (c) tired
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Tenzin’s cheek.” (a) bored (b) tired (c) sad
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is scared? (a) Ishaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Ishaan was scared. (c) Ishaan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) hungry
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.” (a) showing (b) telling

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