Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 59 · 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 Ananya is scared? (a) Ananya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Ananya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Ananya was scared.
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Kabir was really happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Meera rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) telling (b) showing
4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Farhan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) telling (b) showing
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Kabir was sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Sahil grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) happy (b) scared (c) angry
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Kabir’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) telling (b) showing
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is sad? (a) Saanvi’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Saanvi was sad. (c) Saanvi could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Kabir was cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) cold
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is bored? (a) Aisha was bored. (b) Aisha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Aisha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) tired (b) hungry (c) sad
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is tired? (a) Tenzin was tired. (b) Tenzin dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Tenzin’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) tired (b) bored (c) hungry
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is tired? (a) Maria was tired. (b) Maria could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Maria folded her arms and glared at her brother.
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is tired? (a) Imran’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Imran could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Imran was tired.
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is scared? (a) Neel dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Neel’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Neel was scared.
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) sad
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is sad? (a) Tears filled Neel’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Neel was sad. (c) Neel laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) happy (b) cold (c) sad
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is hungry? (a) Kavya was hungry. (b) Kavya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Kavya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha was really bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) cold (b) tired (c) bored
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) cold (b) bored (c) scared
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) hungry
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is tired? (a) Zoya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Zoya was tired. (c) Zoya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Fatima’s cheek.” (a) telling (b) showing
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) telling (b) showing
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is tired? (a) Joseph was tired. (b) Joseph drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Joseph’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya was really hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is bored? (a) Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Diya was bored. (c) Diya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) cold
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was really cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was really cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was really tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) bored
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) tired

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