Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 634 · 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 sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is angry? (a) Neel rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Neel threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Neel was angry.
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Priya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) bored (b) sad (c) happy
3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tara gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) scared (b) hungry (c) angry
4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Diya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) telling (b) showing
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is scared? (a) Aisha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Aisha was scared. (c) Aisha froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tenzin counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) tired
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Joseph gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) telling (b) showing
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is bored? (a) Zoya was bored. (b) Zoya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Zoya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is hungry? (a) Manav was hungry. (b) Manav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Manav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is scared? (a) Saanvi was scared. (b) Saanvi laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Saanvi gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) angry (b) sad (c) happy
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) tired (b) angry (c) scared
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is sad? (a) Maria was sad. (b) Maria froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Maria sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is bored? (a) Simran was bored. (b) Simran kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Tears filled Simran’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Rohan’s cheek.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) bored
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is tired? (a) Farhan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Farhan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Farhan was tired.
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is hungry? (a) Nisha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Nisha was hungry. (c) Nisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) happy (b) angry (c) bored
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is angry? (a) Aarav was angry. (b) Aarav kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Aarav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is sad? (a) Priya was sad. (b) Priya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Priya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is hungry? (a) Pooja was hungry. (b) Pooja’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Pooja laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya felt very sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) telling (b) showing
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is scared? (a) Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Yash was scared. (c) Yash sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is sad? (a) Ananya was sad. (b) Ananya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Tears filled Ananya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is hungry? (a) Vihaan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Vihaan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Vihaan was hungry.
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha was really cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) scared (b) tired (c) happy
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan felt very sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is scared? (a) Rohan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Rohan was scared. (c) Rohan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) scared (b) angry (c) happy
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) hungry (b) tired (c) sad
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is hungry? (a) Simran was hungry. (b) Simran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Simran drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is tired? (a) Ananya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Ananya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Ananya was tired.
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is angry? (a) Yash kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Yash stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Yash was angry.
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is bored? (a) Ishaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Ishaan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Ishaan was bored.
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) scared
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) telling (b) showing

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