Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 515 · 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 Aarav is hungry? (a) Aarav was hungry. (b) Aarav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Aarav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is cold? (a) Pooja was cold. (b) Pooja rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Pooja’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Kabir’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) tired (b) bored (c) angry
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Yash folded his arms and glared at his brother.” (a) happy (b) angry (c) hungry
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Rohan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) telling (b) showing
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is angry? (a) Tenzin sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Tenzin was angry. (c) Tenzin stamped his foot and slammed the door.
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is happy? (a) Pooja’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Pooja was happy. (c) Pooja beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aisha folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) angry
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Arjun sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) bored (b) angry (c) tired
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya felt very bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is hungry? (a) Diya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Diya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Diya was hungry.
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Neel’s cheek.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) bored
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is cold? (a) Aryan was cold. (b) Aryan stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Aryan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is happy? (a) Neel’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Neel was happy. (c) Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Diya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) bored
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is cold? (a) Joseph kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Joseph was cold. (c) Joseph rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) showing (b) telling
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) telling (b) showing
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) telling (b) showing
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is angry? (a) Vihaan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Vihaan was angry. (c) Vihaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash was hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) showing (b) telling
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.” (a) sad (b) cold (c) angry
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) showing (b) telling
27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) bored (b) tired (c) scared
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is tired? (a) Tears filled Vihaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Vihaan was tired. (c) Vihaan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) sad (b) tired (c) bored
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Aarav dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Aarav was happy.
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) hungry (b) scared (c) bored
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) scared
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) hungry (b) sad (c) angry
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) happy (b) scared (c) tired
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) cold (b) tired (c) angry
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) sad
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) telling (b) showing
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is sad? (a) Tears filled Vihaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Vihaan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Vihaan was sad.

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