Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 417 · 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?
   “Farhan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) showing (b) telling
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Arjun grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) telling (b) showing
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is bored? (a) Manav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Manav folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Manav was bored.
4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aisha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) showing (b) telling
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is bored? (a) Manav was bored. (b) Manav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Manav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sahil gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) showing (b) telling
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is happy? (a) Aryan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Aryan was happy. (c) Aryan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Riya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.” (a) angry (b) hungry (c) sad
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Meera licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) cold (b) bored (c) hungry
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) angry
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is cold? (a) Maria shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Maria sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Maria was cold.
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) happy
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is bored? (a) Farhan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Farhan was bored. (c) Farhan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) hungry (b) sad (c) scared
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is cold? (a) Riya was cold. (b) Riya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Riya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.” (a) scared (b) tired (c) sad
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav felt very angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Ananya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) telling (b) showing
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is cold? (a) Aarav rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Aarav was cold. (c) Aarav kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) showing (b) telling
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) showing (b) telling
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) sad
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun felt very sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is scared? (a) Sahil was scared. (b) Sahil’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Sahil counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Nisha’s cheek.” (a) bored (b) scared (c) sad
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is sad? (a) Aarav was sad. (b) Aarav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Tears filled Aarav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) happy (b) tired (c) hungry
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) tired (b) cold (c) happy
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) showing (b) telling
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is tired? (a) Arjun was tired. (b) Arjun laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Arjun rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was really hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) hungry (b) happy (c) cold
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) sad (b) cold (c) bored
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is sad? (a) Manav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Manav was sad. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Manav’s cheek.
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) hungry (b) sad (c) angry
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is sad? (a) Sneha could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (b) Sneha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Sneha was sad.
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) hungry (b) sad (c) tired

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