Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 55 · 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 Manav is sad? (a) Tears filled Manav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Manav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Manav was sad.
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sneha felt very happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Simran rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) telling (b) showing
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Riya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) tired (b) cold (c) hungry
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aisha froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) scared (b) tired (c) bored
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Ishaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) telling (b) showing
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Simran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) bored (b) sad (c) hungry
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Vihaan was hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is scared? (a) Rohan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Rohan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Rohan was scared.
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is sad? (a) Dev was sad. (b) Dev shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Dev’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha felt very scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is bored? (a) Tears filled Simran’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (b) Simran was bored. (c) Simran counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) showing (b) telling
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was really happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) telling (b) showing
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) angry (b) bored (c) tired
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is angry? (a) Farhan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) Farhan was angry. (c) Farhan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) bored
21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) cold (b) hungry (c) scared
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) tired
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is tired? (a) Dev was tired. (b) Dev’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Dev licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) hungry
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha was scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is scared? (a) Priya was scared. (b) Priya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Priya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) bored
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) telling (b) showing
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) angry (b) bored (c) cold
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) angry (b) bored (c) hungry
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is sad? (a) Imran was sad. (b) Imran’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Tears filled Imran’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) tired
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) cold (b) angry (c) hungry
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is angry? (a) Pooja’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Pooja was angry. (c) Pooja folded her arms and glared at her brother.
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) hungry
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is scared? (a) Ananya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Ananya was scared. (c) Ananya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) scared (b) bored (c) tired
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is bored? (a) Kabir gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Kabir was bored. (c) Kabir counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) telling (b) showing

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