Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 446 · 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 feeling does this sentence show?
   “Zoya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) scared
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is happy? (a) Pooja was happy. (b) Pooja counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Pooja beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Arjun’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) cold (b) scared (c) hungry
4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Farhan felt very scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aarav sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) telling (b) showing
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is sad? (a) Maria sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Maria was sad. (c) Maria stamped her foot and slammed the door.
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Kavya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) hungry (b) happy (c) sad
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is hungry? (a) Aisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Aisha was hungry. (c) Aisha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is happy? (a) Meera was happy. (b) Meera beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Meera’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is bored? (a) Neel was bored. (b) Neel drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Neel rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) bored (b) sad (c) tired
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is tired? (a) Imran dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Imran was tired. (c) Imran beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) angry
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is hungry? (a) Kabir kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Kabir hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Kabir was hungry.
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) cold (b) hungry (c) happy
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is sad? (a) Tears filled Tara’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (b) Tara was sad. (c) Tara licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Kabir’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) showing (b) telling
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) happy
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) scared
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is hungry? (a) Fatima licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Fatima was hungry. (c) Tears filled Fatima’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is angry? (a) Aryan was angry. (b) Aryan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Aryan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is tired? (a) Manav was tired. (b) Manav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Manav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is hungry? (a) Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Aryan was hungry. (c) Aryan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is angry? (a) Sahil drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Sahil was angry. (c) Sahil threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) scared (b) hungry (c) tired
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is scared? (a) Vihaan was scared. (b) Vihaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Vihaan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) scared (b) bored (c) cold
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) showing (b) telling
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) angry
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is angry? (a) Imran beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Imran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Imran was angry.
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) happy (b) bored (c) tired
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) angry (b) hungry (c) sad
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) showing (b) telling
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is angry? (a) Kavya was angry. (b) Kavya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Kavya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is bored? (a) Imran was bored. (b) Imran counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Imran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) hungry (b) happy (c) bored
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is happy? (a) Imran was happy. (b) Imran licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Imran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) showing (b) telling

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