Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 566 · 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 Saanvi is angry? (a) Saanvi beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Saanvi was angry. (c) Saanvi threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is sad? (a) Riya was sad. (b) Riya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Riya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Farhan was tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Saanvi’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) happy (b) angry (c) hungry
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Rohan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) angry
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is scared? (a) Kavya was scared. (b) Kavya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Kavya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is cold? (a) Maria counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Maria was cold. (c) Maria shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is angry? (a) Aisha was angry. (b) Aisha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Aisha drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is bored? (a) Ananya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Ananya was bored. (c) Ananya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) scared
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is happy? (a) Aryan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Aryan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Aryan was happy.
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) happy (b) bored (c) cold
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) tired (b) cold (c) bored
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) tired (b) bored (c) hungry
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is sad? (a) Fatima sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Fatima was sad. (c) Fatima’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) telling (b) showing
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) sad
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is sad? (a) Aryan was sad. (b) Aryan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Aryan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is scared? (a) Sahil beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Sahil’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Sahil was scared.
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya felt very hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is happy? (a) Kabir was happy. (b) Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Kabir dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) cold (b) angry (c) hungry
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) happy (b) scared (c) angry
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) happy (b) bored (c) tired
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was really scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is tired? (a) Ananya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Ananya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Ananya was tired.
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is bored? (a) Aryan was bored. (b) Aryan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Aryan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was really tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) bored (b) tired (c) cold
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) tired
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is happy? (a) Ananya was happy. (b) Ananya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Ananya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is tired? (a) Neel was tired. (b) Neel dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Neel threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is scared? (a) Zoya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Zoya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Zoya was scared.
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) telling (b) showing
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is cold? (a) Yash was cold. (b) Yash rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Yash gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.” (a) hungry (b) sad (c) cold
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was really scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is tired? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Meera’s cheek. (b) Meera was tired. (c) Meera rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is sad? (a) Diya was sad. (b) Diya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Diya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.

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