Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 623 · 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?
   “Nisha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.” (a) showing (b) telling
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Nisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) happy (b) cold (c) sad
3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) bored (b) angry (c) hungry
4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Tenzin’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is sad? (a) Imran’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Imran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Imran was sad.
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aisha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) hungry (b) happy (c) cold
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Farhan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) sad (b) hungry (c) tired
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aisha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) scared (b) angry (c) sad
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “A tear rolled slowly down Tenzin’s cheek.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) tired
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) showing (b) telling
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is happy? (a) Kavya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Kavya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Kavya was happy.
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) scared (b) cold (c) bored
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.” (a) telling (b) showing
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima was tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) showing (b) telling
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) telling (b) showing
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) happy
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) happy (b) hungry (c) tired
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is hungry? (a) Aarav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Aarav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Aarav was hungry.
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) showing (b) telling
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Arjun froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Arjun’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Arjun was scared.
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is hungry? (a) Yash was hungry. (b) Yash kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is angry? (a) Sneha folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Sneha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Sneha was angry.
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is scared? (a) Kabir’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Kabir folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Kabir was scared.
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) showing (b) telling
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is angry? (a) Kabir froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Kabir folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Kabir was angry.
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) telling (b) showing
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is bored? (a) Aarav was bored. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Aarav’s cheek. (c) Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is bored? (a) Sneha was bored. (b) Sneha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Sneha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) hungry
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) bored (b) cold (c) angry
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) cold (b) scared (c) happy
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) happy (b) scared (c) sad
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is tired? (a) Yash’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Yash was tired. (c) Yash’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.” (a) scared (b) sad (c) angry
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is bored? (a) Zoya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Zoya was bored. (c) Zoya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph was really happy.” (a) showing (b) telling

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