Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 450 · 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?
   “Aryan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) telling (b) showing
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is happy? (a) Tears filled Imran’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Imran beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Imran was happy.
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Pooja was cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Joseph folded his arms and glared at his brother.” (a) cold (b) angry (c) bored
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Yash laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) happy
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aryan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) cold
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Priya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) happy (b) tired (c) scared
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is happy? (a) Zoya was happy. (b) Zoya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Zoya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Priya was bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is sad? (a) Arjun was sad. (b) Tears filled Arjun’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Arjun kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) scared
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is cold? (a) Tears filled Sahil’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Sahil’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Sahil was cold.
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.” (a) showing (b) telling
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun folded his arms and glared at his brother.” (a) cold (b) angry (c) happy
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan felt very happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara was really hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) telling (b) showing
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is tired? (a) Aisha was tired. (b) Aisha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Aisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is angry? (a) Arjun grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Arjun threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Arjun was angry.
21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Zoya’s cheek.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) cold
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is tired? (a) Diya beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Diya was tired. (c) Diya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is hungry? (a) Ananya was hungry. (b) Ananya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Ananya folded her arms and glared at her brother.
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is hungry? (a) Aisha was hungry. (b) Aisha froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Aisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is hungry? (a) Manav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Manav was hungry. (c) Manav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) tired
27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) cold
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) scared (b) cold (c) tired
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is cold? (a) Aisha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Aisha was cold. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Aisha’s cheek.
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Joseph’s cheek.” (a) telling (b) showing
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is cold? (a) Tenzin was cold. (b) Tenzin counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Tenzin’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) tired
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) happy (b) hungry (c) sad
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is bored? (a) Ishaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Ishaan was bored. (c) Ishaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) cold
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) happy (b) bored (c) cold
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is sad? (a) Fatima’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Fatima was sad. (c) Fatima gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) happy (b) tired (c) hungry
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is hungry? (a) Yash’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Yash licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Yash was hungry.

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