Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 537 · 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?
   “Aarav was really bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Kabir kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) telling (b) showing
3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Dev folded his arms and glared at his brother.” (a) angry (b) sad (c) happy
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is cold? (a) Neel’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Neel was cold. (c) Neel counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is hungry? (a) Kabir kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Kabir was hungry. (c) Kabir laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Manav felt very sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is bored? (a) Tenzin was bored. (b) Tenzin counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Tenzin threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Nisha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.” (a) telling (b) showing
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is tired? (a) Aryan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Aryan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Aryan was tired.
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is angry? (a) Simran’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Simran folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Simran was angry.
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is scared? (a) Rohan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Rohan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Rohan was scared.
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is scared? (a) Fatima rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Fatima was scared. (c) Fatima’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) telling (b) showing
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) tired (b) cold (c) happy
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria felt very tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is tired? (a) Maria was tired. (b) Maria’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Maria’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is cold? (a) Imran dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Imran shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Imran was cold.
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) angry (b) sad (c) happy
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) showing (b) telling
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya felt very happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) showing (b) telling
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) showing (b) telling
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) bored (b) tired (c) happy
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is bored? (a) Aarav was bored. (b) Aarav beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Aarav kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Kabir’s cheek. (b) Kabir counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Kabir was sad.
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) angry
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) hungry (b) scared (c) cold
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is happy? (a) Saanvi counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Saanvi was happy. (c) Saanvi beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) angry (b) sad (c) hungry
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is cold? (a) Tenzin was cold. (b) Tenzin grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Tenzin’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan was really angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) tired (b) cold (c) happy
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) showing (b) telling
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) cold (b) bored (c) tired
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is scared? (a) Sahil froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Sahil rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Sahil was scared.
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) telling (b) showing
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) cold
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir felt very sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) angry (b) sad (c) cold

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