Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 543 · 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 Fatima is bored? (a) Fatima was bored. (b) Fatima kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Fatima kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Farhan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) showing (b) telling
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is hungry? (a) Sahil’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Sahil kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Sahil was hungry.
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Dev sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) cold (b) sad (c) bored
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is tired? (a) Riya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Riya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Riya was tired.
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Diya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.” (a) telling (b) showing
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sneha was hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Arjun froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) hungry
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Tears filled Aryan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) showing (b) telling
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) showing (b) telling
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is cold? (a) Sneha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Sneha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Sneha was cold.
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) showing (b) telling
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is happy? (a) Maria was happy. (b) Maria laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Maria gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) scared (b) bored (c) tired
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) angry
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is cold? (a) Riya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Riya was cold. (c) Riya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) sad (b) tired (c) bored
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph was happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is sad? (a) Aisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Aisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Aisha was sad.
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is happy? (a) Nisha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Nisha was happy. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Nisha’s cheek.
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is angry? (a) Ishaan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Ishaan was angry. (c) Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was really hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was really tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was really sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) angry (b) happy (c) sad
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is angry? (a) Fatima’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Fatima folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Fatima was angry.
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is angry? (a) Priya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Priya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Priya was angry.
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is scared? (a) Yash was scared. (b) Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Yash sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is tired? (a) Sneha was tired. (b) Sneha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Sneha’s cheek.
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is bored? (a) Fatima drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Fatima licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Fatima was bored.
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) hungry (b) bored (c) tired
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) showing (b) telling
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is happy? (a) Imran was happy. (b) Imran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Imran’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Kavya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) sad (b) angry (c) bored
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is sad? (a) Ishaan was sad. (b) Ishaan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Ishaan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is scared? (a) Priya was scared. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Priya’s cheek. (c) Priya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) sad (b) cold (c) scared
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is bored? (a) Imran licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Imran was bored. (c) Imran sighed and flipped through the same comic again.

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