Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 486 · 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 Tara is tired? (a) Tara folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Tara’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Tara was tired.
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is angry? (a) Joseph was angry. (b) Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Joseph stamped his foot and slammed the door.
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is cold? (a) Meera’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Meera’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Meera was cold.
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Vihaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) angry
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Meera drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) happy (b) bored (c) cold
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Manav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) showing (b) telling
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Vihaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) happy (b) cold (c) sad
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Ishaan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) bored (b) sad (c) cold
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Tara licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) showing (b) telling
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is happy? (a) Imran shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Imran beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Imran was happy.
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) telling (b) showing
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is happy? (a) Tenzin was happy. (b) Tenzin grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Tenzin sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is bored? (a) Sahil’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Sahil was bored. (c) Sahil drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya felt very bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) telling (b) showing
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) happy (b) bored (c) scared
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) showing (b) telling
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) cold (b) scared (c) angry
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is hungry? (a) Zoya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Zoya was hungry. (c) Zoya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph was really tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is happy? (a) Saanvi grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Saanvi counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Saanvi was happy.
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) showing (b) telling
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) angry
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) showing (b) telling
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Arjun counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Arjun was scared. (c) Arjun’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) cold
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is bored? (a) Joseph was bored. (b) Joseph hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Joseph sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is bored? (a) Aryan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Aryan was bored. (c) Aryan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) showing (b) telling
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) sad (b) hungry (c) angry
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is angry? (a) Priya was angry. (b) Priya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Priya folded her arms and glared at her brother.
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is scared? (a) Ishaan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Ishaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Ishaan was scared.
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) hungry
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) tired
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.” (a) hungry (b) scared (c) tired
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is sad? (a) Vihaan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Tears filled Vihaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Vihaan was sad.
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) happy (b) cold (c) tired
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is happy? (a) Simran rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Simran beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Simran was happy.

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