Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 617 · 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?
   “Ananya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) showing (b) telling
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is cold? (a) Ananya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Ananya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Ananya was cold.
3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) scared (b) bored (c) happy
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is sad? (a) Joseph shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Joseph sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Joseph was sad.
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Joseph laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) cold (b) scared (c) happy
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sneha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) telling (b) showing
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Arjun’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) showing (b) telling
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Rohan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) cold
9. 9.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 sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is tired? (a) Fatima was tired. (b) Fatima could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Fatima’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is angry? (a) Aryan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Aryan was angry. (c) Aryan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) hungry (b) bored (c) scared
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) angry
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was really angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is bored? (a) Saanvi was bored. (b) Saanvi hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Saanvi drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is tired? (a) Tara’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Tara was tired. (c) Tara dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is happy? (a) Dev was happy. (b) Dev beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Dev rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is cold? (a) Ishaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Ishaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Ishaan was cold.
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) angry
21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) happy (b) hungry (c) tired
22. 22.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’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is hungry? (a) Nisha was hungry. (b) Nisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Nisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is sad? (a) Tears filled Dev’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Dev was sad. (c) Dev’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) bored (b) hungry (c) scared
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is sad? (a) Ananya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Ananya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Ananya was sad.
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is happy? (a) Rohan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Rohan was happy. (c) Rohan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) tired (b) angry (c) cold
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is happy? (a) Tears filled Nisha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (b) Nisha was happy. (c) Nisha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) telling (b) showing
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is cold? (a) Pooja laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Pooja rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Pooja was cold.
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is happy? (a) Ananya beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Ananya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Ananya was happy.
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is hungry? (a) Joseph’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Tears filled Joseph’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Joseph was hungry.
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) happy
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was really cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) showing (b) telling
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is sad? (a) Farhan was sad. (b) Farhan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Tears filled Farhan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) scared (b) angry (c) bored

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