Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 438 · 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 Yash is scared? (a) Yash shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Yash was scared.
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Arjun’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) showing (b) telling
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is sad? (a) Fatima drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Fatima’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Fatima was sad.
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Diya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.” (a) angry (b) sad (c) bored
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Ishaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) tired (b) bored (c) scared
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Imran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) showing (b) telling
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Ishaan was sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Meera counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) angry (b) hungry (c) bored
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is tired? (a) Priya was tired. (b) Priya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Priya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is bored? (a) Ananya was bored. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Ananya’s cheek. (c) Ananya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is happy? (a) Sahil was happy. (b) Sahil beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Sahil’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is cold? (a) Priya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Priya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Priya was cold.
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) telling (b) showing
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima was sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) telling (b) showing
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is angry? (a) Sahil dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Sahil stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Sahil was angry.
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) hungry
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.” (a) angry (b) bored (c) scared
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev folded his arms and glared at his brother.” (a) showing (b) telling
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is sad? (a) Aryan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Aryan was sad. (c) Aryan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is scared? (a) Sahil’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Sahil was scared. (c) Sahil’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is bored? (a) Aryan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Aryan was bored. (c) Aryan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha was hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) hungry (b) bored (c) angry
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) happy
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi felt very happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is hungry? (a) Farhan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Farhan was hungry. (c) Farhan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) showing (b) telling
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is cold? (a) Yash rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Yash was cold. (c) Yash dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) happy
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is happy? (a) Manav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Manav was happy. (c) Manav sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is hungry? (a) Meera was hungry. (b) Meera stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Meera licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is happy? (a) Diya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Diya was happy. (c) Diya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) happy (b) scared (c) angry
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) telling (b) showing
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is tired? (a) Manav was tired. (b) Manav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Manav folded his arms and glared at his brother.
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is happy? (a) Saanvi was happy. (b) Saanvi froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Saanvi hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) scared (b) hungry (c) bored
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is hungry? (a) Zoya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Zoya was hungry. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Zoya’s cheek.
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) showing (b) telling

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