Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 582 · 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?
   “Yash shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) sad (b) tired (c) cold
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Vihaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) tired
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is angry? (a) Sneha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Sneha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Sneha was angry.
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is happy? (a) Kavya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Kavya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Kavya was happy.
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is cold? (a) Fatima stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Fatima shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Fatima was cold.
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aryan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) bored (b) sad (c) hungry
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aryan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) telling (b) showing
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Rohan was tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is bored? (a) Kavya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Kavya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Kavya was bored.
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) happy (b) scared (c) hungry
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) scared (b) cold (c) happy
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is scared? (a) Simran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Simran was scared. (c) Simran’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is sad? (a) Diya was sad. (b) Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Diya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) scared (b) sad (c) happy
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is scared? (a) Tenzin was scared. (b) Tenzin’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Tenzin’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is scared? (a) Sneha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Sneha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Sneha was scared.
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is hungry? (a) Nisha was hungry. (b) Nisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Nisha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev folded his arms and glared at his brother.” (a) telling (b) showing
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is angry? (a) Maria’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Maria was angry. (c) Maria folded her arms and glared at her brother.
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is scared? (a) Neel gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Neel’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Neel was scared.
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) hungry (b) happy (c) bored
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) showing (b) telling
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.” (a) happy (b) angry (c) sad
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan felt very hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) happy
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) happy
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) telling (b) showing
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is scared? (a) Riya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Riya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Riya was scared.
31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) hungry (b) bored (c) sad
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is bored? (a) Ishaan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Ishaan was bored. (c) Ishaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) angry (b) bored (c) tired
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) tired (b) bored (c) happy
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) tired
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is happy? (a) Simran was happy. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Simran’s cheek. (c) Simran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is bored? (a) Dev was bored. (b) Dev gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Dev counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph was really angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is bored? (a) Pooja sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Tears filled Pooja’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Pooja was bored.

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