Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 540 · 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 Diya is happy? (a) Diya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Diya was happy. (c) Tears filled Diya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Meera shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) hungry (b) tired (c) cold
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Ishaan was bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is happy? (a) Aryan was happy. (b) Aryan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Aryan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Joseph felt very hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Sneha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) happy
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Sneha beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) happy (b) cold (c) tired
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is bored? (a) Aisha was bored. (b) Aisha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Aisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Dev drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) cold (b) angry (c) bored
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is tired? (a) Kabir was tired. (b) Kabir’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Kabir rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan felt very tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) bored (b) cold (c) tired
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is hungry? (a) Tenzin was hungry. (b) Tenzin’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Tenzin kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya was sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is tired? (a) Riya was tired. (b) Riya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Riya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) scared (b) angry (c) happy
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) telling (b) showing
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is bored? (a) Zoya was bored. (b) Zoya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Zoya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) scared (b) cold (c) hungry
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev felt very scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) happy (b) angry (c) bored
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is happy? (a) Fatima froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Fatima beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Fatima was happy.
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is scared? (a) Tenzin froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Tenzin was scared. (c) Tenzin beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was really angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) telling (b) showing
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Manav’s cheek.” (a) scared (b) sad (c) tired
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is angry? (a) Ananya was angry. (b) Ananya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Ananya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) hungry
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is scared? (a) Aryan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Aryan was scared. (c) Aryan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) hungry (b) tired (c) cold
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) telling (b) showing
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) telling (b) showing
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) showing (b) telling
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya felt very scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was really tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is happy? (a) Saanvi was happy. (b) Saanvi laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Saanvi’s cheek.
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) telling (b) showing

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