Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 386 · 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 Ishaan is cold? (a) Ishaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Ishaan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Ishaan was cold.
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is cold? (a) Aarav dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Aarav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Aarav was cold.
3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Sneha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) happy (b) tired (c) sad
4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Manav was scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is happy? (a) Rohan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Rohan was happy. (c) Rohan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is angry? (a) Tenzin sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Tenzin was angry. (c) Tenzin threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is cold? (a) Aryan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Aryan was cold. (c) Aryan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Tara kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) telling (b) showing
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Ananya felt very tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) cold
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is bored? (a) Ishaan was bored. (b) Ishaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Ishaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) tired (b) cold (c) angry
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is happy? (a) Ishaan was happy. (b) Ishaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Ishaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is hungry? (a) Sahil rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Sahil was hungry. (c) Sahil kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya was sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) tired
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is happy? (a) Maria beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Maria was happy. (c) Maria could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is angry? (a) Imran stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Imran gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Imran was angry.
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is angry? (a) Kavya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Kavya was angry. (c) Kavya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) bored (b) sad (c) happy
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is cold? (a) Kabir’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Kabir kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Kabir was cold.
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is scared? (a) Farhan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Farhan was scared. (c) Farhan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) cold
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) hungry (b) tired (c) bored
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) cold (b) bored (c) happy
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is sad? (a) Tears filled Manav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Manav licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Manav was sad.
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) showing (b) telling
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is scared? (a) Tenzin sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Tenzin gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Tenzin was scared.
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) hungry (b) happy (c) bored
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) telling (b) showing
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) cold (b) tired (c) scared
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is angry? (a) Farhan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Farhan was angry. (c) Farhan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is bored? (a) Kavya was bored. (b) Kavya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Kavya stamped her foot and slammed the door.
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) telling (b) showing
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) sad (b) cold (c) hungry
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) telling (b) showing
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is scared? (a) Dev threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Dev was scared. (c) Dev’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) hungry
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) showing (b) telling

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