Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 611 · 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?
   “Vihaan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) bored (b) angry (c) sad
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Meera shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) cold
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Saanvi’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) showing (b) telling
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Farhan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) tired (b) hungry (c) sad
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sahil hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) telling (b) showing
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Simran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) showing (b) telling
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Vihaan was hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tenzin counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) tired
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is scared? (a) Rohan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Rohan was scared. (c) Rohan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) telling (b) showing
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel felt very happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Yash’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) sad
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is tired? (a) Imran’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Imran was tired. (c) Tears filled Imran’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is bored? (a) Farhan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Farhan was bored. (c) Farhan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) happy
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha felt very cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is bored? (a) Saanvi was bored. (b) Saanvi’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Saanvi sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) telling (b) showing
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is happy? (a) Imran was happy. (b) Imran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Imran’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is angry? (a) Ananya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Ananya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Ananya was angry.
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) cold
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is hungry? (a) Dev was hungry. (b) Dev’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Dev kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is tired? (a) Vihaan was tired. (b) Vihaan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Vihaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Sahil’s cheek.” (a) scared (b) angry (c) sad
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is cold? (a) Neel could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Neel rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Neel was cold.
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is hungry? (a) Diya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Diya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Diya was hungry.
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) cold
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) hungry (b) tired (c) angry
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is sad? (a) Tears filled Tenzin’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Tenzin was sad. (c) Tenzin’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is bored? (a) Zoya was bored. (b) Zoya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Zoya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima was really happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) bored (b) cold (c) sad
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is bored? (a) Meera was bored. (b) Tears filled Meera’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Meera drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) telling (b) showing
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is tired? (a) Maria’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Maria beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Maria was tired.
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) showing (b) telling
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) telling (b) showing
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is scared? (a) Kabir was scared. (b) Kabir’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Kabir gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is happy? (a) Zoya was happy. (b) Zoya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Zoya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.

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