Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 434 · 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?
   “Neel stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Simran’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) showing (b) telling
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is happy? (a) Tears filled Farhan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Farhan was happy. (c) Farhan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is bored? (a) Sahil gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Sahil kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Sahil was bored.
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Zoya was really hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is tired? (a) Imran was tired. (b) Imran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Imran rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Farhan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) scared (b) tired (c) cold
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is sad? (a) Nisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Nisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Nisha was sad.
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is sad? (a) Kabir was sad. (b) Kabir’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Kabir’s cheek.
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Farhan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) tired (b) hungry (c) sad
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is cold? (a) Kabir was cold. (b) Kabir’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Kabir rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is sad? (a) Nisha was sad. (b) Nisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Tears filled Nisha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is bored? (a) Saanvi was bored. (b) Saanvi licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Saanvi counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) happy
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) happy (b) angry (c) sad
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is cold? (a) Zoya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Zoya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Zoya was cold.
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) cold
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is hungry? (a) Arjun threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Arjun licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Arjun was hungry.
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) showing (b) telling
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) sad (b) tired (c) angry
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was really bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) scared
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) cold
27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) sad (b) cold (c) happy
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is bored? (a) Priya was bored. (b) Priya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Priya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara was tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) happy (b) hungry (c) scared
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was really scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) tired (b) hungry (c) happy
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is scared? (a) Kabir froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Kabir was scared. (c) Kabir kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) sad (b) angry (c) bored
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is sad? (a) Sneha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Sneha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Sneha was sad.
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) tired (b) scared (c) angry
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is sad? (a) Imran rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Imran was sad. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Imran’s cheek.
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is hungry? (a) Diya was hungry. (b) Diya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek. (b) Arjun’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Arjun was sad.
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is sad? (a) Joseph was sad. (b) Joseph beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Tears filled Joseph’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.

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