Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 559 · 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?
   “Priya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) cold
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Nisha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) sad (b) cold (c) hungry
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is cold? (a) Maria’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Maria was cold. (c) Maria gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Ishaan was scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Ananya felt very tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Arjun gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) tired (b) bored (c) hungry
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is cold? (a) Aryan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Aryan was cold. (c) Aryan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Ananya was really cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is happy? (a) Aisha was happy. (b) Aisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Aisha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is tired? (a) Yash beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Yash was tired. (c) Yash could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is happy? (a) Pooja grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Pooja was happy. (c) Pooja’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is angry? (a) Tears filled Sahil’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Sahil was angry. (c) Sahil folded his arms and glared at his brother.
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is cold? (a) Kabir was cold. (b) Kabir hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Kabir’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) showing (b) telling
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Rohan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Rohan was tired.
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) angry
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash was really scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Meera’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) angry (b) hungry (c) sad
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Vihaan’s cheek.” (a) showing (b) telling
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is scared? (a) Nisha was scared. (b) Nisha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Nisha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is bored? (a) Priya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Priya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Priya was bored.
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was really hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) telling (b) showing
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is hungry? (a) Kabir was hungry. (b) Kabir licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was really tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan folded his arms and glared at his brother.” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Dev’s cheek.” (a) showing (b) telling
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is tired? (a) Dev’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Dev grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Dev was tired.
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is tired? (a) Ananya beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Ananya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Ananya was tired.
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) showing (b) telling
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) angry
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) cold
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is angry? (a) Kabir’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Kabir gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Kabir was angry.
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is bored? (a) Kavya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Kavya was bored. (c) Kavya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is happy? (a) Farhan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Farhan was happy. (c) Farhan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) angry
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) cold (b) angry (c) hungry
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph was happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) telling (b) showing

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