Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 52 · 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 Yash is tired? (a) Yash was tired. (b) Yash’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Yash rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Farhan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) showing (b) telling
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is bored? (a) Aisha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Aisha sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Aisha was bored.
4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sneha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) telling (b) showing
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is hungry? (a) Meera gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Meera was hungry. (c) Meera froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Rohan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) hungry (b) sad (c) scared
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Meera rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) tired
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Yash’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) scared (b) sad (c) tired
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is bored? (a) Meera was bored. (b) Meera sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Meera beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is sad? (a) Fatima’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Fatima was sad. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Fatima’s cheek.
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) telling (b) showing
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) happy
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is happy? (a) Maria’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Maria was happy. (c) Maria beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) showing (b) telling
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) cold
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is cold? (a) Farhan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Farhan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Farhan was cold.
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) showing (b) telling
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is hungry? (a) Ishaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Ishaan’s cheek. (c) Ishaan was hungry.
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya felt very hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is cold? (a) Saanvi beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Saanvi shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Saanvi was cold.
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash felt very sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is scared? (a) Tenzin was scared. (b) Tenzin licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Tenzin gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima felt very cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) scared (b) sad (c) hungry
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) cold (b) scared (c) hungry
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is angry? (a) Riya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Riya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Riya was angry.
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is happy? (a) Diya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Diya was happy. (c) Diya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is sad? (a) Sahil was sad. (b) Tears filled Sahil’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Sahil kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is cold? (a) Meera rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Meera dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Meera was cold.
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is angry? (a) Kabir threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Kabir could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Kabir was angry.
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) showing (b) telling
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is hungry? (a) Imran gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Imran was hungry. (c) Imran beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) showing (b) telling
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) showing (b) telling
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) showing (b) telling
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is happy? (a) Nisha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Nisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Nisha was happy.
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya was happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is hungry? (a) Nisha was hungry. (b) Nisha could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Nisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is cold? (a) Arjun dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Arjun shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Arjun was cold.
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is hungry? (a) Fatima was hungry. (b) Fatima’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Fatima kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.

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