Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 387 · 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.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Riya felt very tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is hungry? (a) Priya was hungry. (b) Priya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Priya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Tara drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) showing (b) telling
4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Kavya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) telling (b) showing
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Fatima rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) tired (b) bored (c) cold
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sneha drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) telling (b) showing
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Imran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) scared (b) hungry (c) happy
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is bored? (a) Ananya was bored. (b) Ananya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Ananya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is scared? (a) Meera was scared. (b) Meera’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Meera gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) scared (b) angry (c) bored
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) tired (b) bored (c) cold
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is scared? (a) Riya was scared. (b) Riya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Riya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) happy
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is angry? (a) Maria beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Maria was angry. (c) Maria stamped her foot and slammed the door.
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is bored? (a) Manav sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Manav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Manav was bored.
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) happy
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) angry
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) scared (b) tired (c) hungry
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is happy? (a) Meera was happy. (b) Meera shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Meera laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja felt very tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is hungry? (a) Aryan was hungry. (b) Aryan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Aryan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is cold? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Fatima’s cheek. (b) Fatima was cold. (c) Fatima rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is happy? (a) Pooja was happy. (b) Pooja grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Pooja sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is sad? (a) Rohan was sad. (b) Rohan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Rohan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is bored? (a) Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Yash was bored. (c) Yash counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) cold
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is sad? (a) Tears filled Farhan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Farhan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Farhan was sad.
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) bored
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran folded his arms and glared at his brother.” (a) sad (b) hungry (c) angry
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is cold? (a) Priya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Priya was cold. (c) Priya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is sad? (a) Riya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Riya was sad. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Riya’s cheek.
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is tired? (a) Dev sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Dev was tired. (c) Dev’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) cold (b) bored (c) tired
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) cold
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is angry? (a) Imran dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Imran stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Imran was angry.
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is bored? (a) Maria was bored. (b) Maria threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Maria drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) tired
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) showing (b) telling

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