Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 483 · 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?
   “Rohan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) telling (b) showing
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is hungry? (a) Tenzin laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Tenzin was hungry. (c) Tenzin licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Dev felt very cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Riya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) hungry
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Aarav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Aarav was happy.
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Nisha licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) telling (b) showing
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Ishaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) bored (b) hungry (c) cold
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is bored? (a) Vihaan was bored. (b) Vihaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Vihaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Manav gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) scared (b) cold (c) bored
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) hungry
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is happy? (a) Rohan was happy. (b) Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Rohan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is scared? (a) Simran rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Simran was scared. (c) Simran’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) scared
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is sad? (a) Tears filled Simran’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (b) Simran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Simran was sad.
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is happy? (a) Tenzin grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Tenzin was happy. (c) Tenzin gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) sad
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is scared? (a) Kabir was scared. (b) Kabir gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Kabir’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) tired (b) bored (c) happy
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Arjun was scared. (b) Arjun beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Arjun’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is cold? (a) Yash was cold. (b) Yash counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Yash’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is scared? (a) Imran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Imran’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Imran was scared.
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Pooja’s cheek. (b) Pooja was sad. (c) Pooja sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is happy? (a) Rohan was happy. (b) Rohan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Rohan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is angry? (a) Kavya was angry. (b) Kavya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Kavya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was really cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) telling (b) showing
27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) cold
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is tired? (a) Imran laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Imran dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Imran was tired.
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) scared
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is angry? (a) Manav sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Manav folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Manav was angry.
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash felt very angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is hungry? (a) Kavya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Kavya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Kavya was hungry.
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is scared? (a) Ananya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Ananya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Ananya was scared.
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is cold? (a) Sahil’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Sahil licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Sahil was cold.
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) bored (b) scared (c) hungry
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is bored? (a) Dev counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Dev rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Dev was bored.
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is bored? (a) Kavya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Kavya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Kavya was bored.
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is cold? (a) Ishaan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Ishaan was cold. (c) Ishaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is happy? (a) Tears filled Dev’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Dev grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Dev was happy.
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) scared (b) angry (c) bored

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