Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 490 · 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?
   “Aisha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) telling (b) showing
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is bored? (a) Aarav was bored. (b) Aarav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is sad? (a) Kavya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Kavya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Kavya was sad.
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Sneha could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) happy (b) tired (c) sad
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is happy? (a) Sneha could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (b) Sneha was happy. (c) Sneha beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is bored? (a) Farhan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Farhan was bored. (c) Farhan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is tired? (a) Ishaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Ishaan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Ishaan was tired.
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is angry? (a) Farhan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Farhan was angry. (c) Farhan folded his arms and glared at his brother.
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is tired? (a) Maria was tired. (b) Maria shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Maria’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) tired (b) hungry (c) scared
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is cold? (a) Tenzin’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Tenzin was cold. (c) Tenzin’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan was tired. (b) Rohan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Rohan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) happy (b) tired (c) scared
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) showing (b) telling
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is scared? (a) Sahil was scared. (b) Sahil gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Sahil shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) showing (b) telling
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) sad
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is cold? (a) Aarav rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Aarav stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Aarav was cold.
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is hungry? (a) Priya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Priya was hungry. (c) Priya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is sad? (a) Aisha was sad. (b) Aisha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Aisha’s cheek.
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) scared (b) cold (c) angry
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Rohan’s cheek.” (a) hungry (b) sad (c) tired
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) tired
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) sad
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was really hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) sad (b) tired (c) cold
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is happy? (a) Neel was happy. (b) Neel sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) bored (b) tired (c) hungry
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is angry? (a) Manav stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Manav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Manav was angry.
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) telling (b) showing
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is sad? (a) Yash was sad. (b) Yash kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Yash sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) happy (b) tired (c) cold
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was really sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) telling (b) showing
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha was really sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) tired
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) tired (b) angry (c) cold
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is bored? (a) Rohan was bored. (b) Rohan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Rohan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is bored? (a) Imran was bored. (b) Imran gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Imran counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.

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