Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 461 · 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?
   “Diya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) sad
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aarav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) hungry (b) tired (c) scared
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is angry? (a) Tears filled Dev’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Dev’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Dev was angry.
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) cold (b) bored (c) sad
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is angry? (a) Aarav was angry. (b) Aarav folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Aarav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is scared? (a) Zoya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Zoya was scared. (c) Zoya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is cold? (a) Joseph rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Joseph shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Joseph was cold.
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Kabir gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) sad (b) tired (c) hungry
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sahil drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) telling (b) showing
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is cold? (a) Rohan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Rohan was cold. (c) Rohan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya was really bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran was happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) showing (b) telling
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is scared? (a) Neel’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Neel’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Neel was scared.
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) showing (b) telling
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) happy (b) bored (c) scared
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) telling (b) showing
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) telling (b) showing
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) cold (b) angry (c) tired
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is scared? (a) Aarav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Aarav folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Aarav was scared.
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) showing (b) telling
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is angry? (a) Riya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Riya was angry. (c) Riya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan felt very scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is angry? (a) Kabir was angry. (b) Kabir stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Kabir hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) showing (b) telling
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is hungry? (a) Meera was hungry. (b) Meera gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Meera kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) scared
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) tired
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) showing (b) telling
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is sad? (a) Sahil’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Sahil’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Sahil was sad.
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is cold? (a) Imran was cold. (b) Imran could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Imran shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is cold? (a) Rohan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Rohan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Rohan was cold.
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) happy (b) scared (c) bored
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is bored? (a) Arjun was bored. (b) Arjun drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Arjun licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is scared? (a) Ananya was scared. (b) Ananya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Ananya folded her arms and glared at her brother.
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is angry? (a) Farhan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Farhan was angry. (c) Farhan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan was angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) happy (b) cold (c) sad
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Rohan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) telling (b) showing
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) hungry (b) scared (c) bored

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