Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 624 · 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?
   “Tenzin’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) tired
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Zoya felt very cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is sad? (a) Dev was sad. (b) Dev laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Dev’s cheek.
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is cold? (a) Aryan beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Aryan was cold. (c) Aryan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Simran could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) tired (b) angry (c) scared
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is tired? (a) Kavya was tired. (b) Kavya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Kavya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is bored? (a) Joseph drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Joseph was bored. (c) Joseph could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sneha was bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is cold? (a) Saanvi was cold. (b) Saanvi’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Tears filled Saanvi’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is scared? (a) Rohan was scared. (b) Rohan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Rohan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) angry (b) tired (c) happy
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is scared? (a) Manav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Manav was scared. (c) Manav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha felt very sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is scared? (a) Ishaan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Ishaan was scared. (c) Ishaan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is tired? (a) Aisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Aisha was tired. (c) Aisha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is cold? (a) Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Kabir’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Kabir was cold.
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) sad
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) hungry (b) bored (c) happy
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was really hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) telling (b) showing
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran felt very angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is sad? (a) Diya was sad. (b) Diya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) telling (b) showing
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is hungry? (a) Rohan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Rohan was hungry. (c) Rohan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is hungry? (a) Priya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Priya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Priya was hungry.
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is sad? (a) Ananya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Ananya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Ananya was sad.
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria felt very sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is hungry? (a) Rohan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Rohan was hungry. (c) Rohan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) telling (b) showing
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is cold? (a) Imran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Imran was cold. (c) Imran’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is hungry? (a) Sahil was hungry. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Sahil’s cheek. (c) Sahil gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) tired (b) angry (c) scared
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was really sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) bored
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) hungry (b) bored (c) cold
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is sad? (a) Neel was sad. (b) Neel’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Neel sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Saanvi’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) telling (b) showing
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is cold? (a) Maria was cold. (b) Maria grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Maria’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.

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