Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 647 · 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?
   “Tears filled Aryan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) telling (b) showing
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Tenzin was really scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is scared? (a) Pooja was scared. (b) Pooja gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Pooja stamped her foot and slammed the door.
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Zoya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.” (a) bored (b) scared (c) cold
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Kabir’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) showing (b) telling
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is cold? (a) Priya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Priya was cold. (c) Priya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is tired? (a) Kabir was tired. (b) Kabir’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Kabir dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is cold? (a) Meera threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Meera rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Meera was cold.
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is tired? (a) Diya was tired. (b) Diya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Diya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) scared
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) angry
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) telling (b) showing
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran felt very bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) showing (b) telling
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is bored? (a) Nisha was bored. (b) Nisha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Nisha sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) cold
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) bored
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev felt very cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.” (a) scared (b) angry (c) hungry
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) showing (b) telling
21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) tired
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) hungry
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) tired (b) angry (c) happy
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) showing (b) telling
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is bored? (a) Maria kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Maria rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Maria was bored.
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) tired (b) happy (c) angry
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) showing (b) telling
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) showing (b) telling
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is happy? (a) Sahil laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Sahil was happy. (c) Sahil’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) telling (b) showing
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is cold? (a) Nisha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Nisha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Nisha was cold.
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is bored? (a) Arjun was bored. (b) Arjun beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Arjun drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) angry (b) tired (c) bored
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) hungry
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) scared (b) bored (c) happy
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) angry (b) sad (c) scared
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) scared (b) sad (c) happy
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) scared (b) sad (c) bored
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) showing (b) telling
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is tired? (a) Pooja’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Pooja stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Pooja was tired.

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