Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 541 · 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 feeling does this sentence show?
   “Rohan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) angry
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Tenzin felt very bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aisha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) telling (b) showing
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Manav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) cold
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Ananya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) cold
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Meera’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) cold (b) scared (c) tired
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is tired? (a) Dev rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Dev could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Dev was tired.
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is angry? (a) Sahil’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Sahil stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Sahil was angry.
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Arjun could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) cold (b) sad (c) tired
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is happy? (a) Aisha was happy. (b) Aisha froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Aisha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is happy? (a) Saanvi was happy. (b) Saanvi beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Saanvi kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was really hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) showing (b) telling
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan was tired. (b) Tears filled Rohan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Rohan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is cold? (a) Ishaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Ishaan was cold. (c) Ishaan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) sad
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is scared? (a) Ishaan was scared. (b) Ishaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Ishaan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan folded his arms and glared at his brother.” (a) happy (b) hungry (c) angry
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was really tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) showing (b) telling
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) showing (b) telling
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is hungry? (a) Dev was hungry. (b) Dev gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Dev licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is happy? (a) Yash hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Yash sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Yash was happy.
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) telling (b) showing
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Manav’s cheek.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) sad
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is sad? (a) Kavya was sad. (b) Kavya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Tears filled Kavya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is angry? (a) Yash was angry. (b) Yash stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Yash sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is scared? (a) Sahil rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Sahil’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Sahil was scared.
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is bored? (a) Joseph’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Joseph was bored. (c) Joseph kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is scared? (a) Diya was scared. (b) Diya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Diya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is happy? (a) Ishaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Ishaan was happy. (c) Ishaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) tired (b) cold (c) scared
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is tired? (a) Aryan was tired. (b) Aryan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Aryan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya was tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) showing (b) telling
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is hungry? (a) Ananya was hungry. (b) Ananya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Ananya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) bored (b) angry (c) hungry
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) showing (b) telling
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is bored? (a) Yash hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Yash was bored. (c) Yash counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.

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