Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 592 · 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.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aarav was bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Fatima felt very sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Tenzin shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) telling (b) showing
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Kavya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) scared
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “A tear rolled slowly down Imran’s cheek.” (a) showing (b) telling
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Kavya was hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Arjun stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) showing (b) telling
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is bored? (a) Tara was bored. (b) Tara sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Tara’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Diya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) happy (b) scared (c) tired
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is angry? (a) Maria was angry. (b) Maria licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Maria threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is happy? (a) Fatima froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Fatima was happy. (c) Fatima laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is scared? (a) Vihaan was scared. (b) Vihaan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Vihaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is hungry? (a) Aryan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Aryan was hungry. (c) Aryan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is scared? (a) Fatima gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Fatima was scared. (c) Fatima’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is hungry? (a) Pooja was hungry. (b) Pooja laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Pooja’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) bored
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) telling (b) showing
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) showing (b) telling
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is hungry? (a) Ananya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Ananya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Ananya was hungry.
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) showing (b) telling
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan was hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) telling (b) showing
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) cold (b) tired (c) hungry
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is bored? (a) Farhan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Farhan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Farhan was bored.
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) happy (b) cold (c) bored
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is hungry? (a) Joseph’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Joseph was hungry. (c) Joseph kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) showing (b) telling
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is hungry? (a) Nisha was hungry. (b) Nisha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Nisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan was really sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Saanvi’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) cold
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is sad? (a) Tara could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (b) Tara was sad. (c) Tara sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is cold? (a) Manav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Manav sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Manav was cold.
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was really bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) telling (b) showing
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is scared? (a) Sahil grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Sahil’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Sahil was scared.
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is sad? (a) Aryan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Aryan’s cheek. (c) Aryan was sad.
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) showing (b) telling

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