Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 649 · 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?
   “Aryan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) sad (b) hungry (c) tired
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is tired? (a) Joseph stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Joseph was tired. (c) Joseph dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is bored? (a) Aarav was bored. (b) Aarav folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Aarav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Farhan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) scared (b) sad (c) cold
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Rohan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) cold (b) scared (c) angry
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sneha was really happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) hungry (b) tired (c) sad
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sneha was sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is cold? (a) Meera sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Meera’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Meera was cold.
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is scared? (a) Zoya was scared. (b) Zoya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Zoya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) sad (b) angry (c) scared
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is cold? (a) Sahil was cold. (b) Sahil shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Sahil’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) telling (b) showing
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) cold (b) scared (c) sad
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) telling (b) showing
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) bored (b) sad (c) scared
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.” (a) telling (b) showing
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) telling (b) showing
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was really hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is hungry? (a) Ananya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Ananya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Ananya was hungry.
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is hungry? (a) Diya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Diya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Diya was hungry.
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is happy? (a) Vihaan was happy. (b) Vihaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Vihaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran was happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is happy? (a) Imran was happy. (b) Imran drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Imran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) telling (b) showing
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is tired? (a) Simran was tired. (b) Simran’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Simran could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) sad (b) cold (c) happy
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) sad
31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Tenzin’s cheek.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) angry
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is angry? (a) Sahil was angry. (b) Sahil sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Sahil’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is hungry? (a) Neel was hungry. (b) Neel’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Neel rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) bored (b) hungry (c) angry
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is happy? (a) Ishaan stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Ishaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Ishaan was happy.
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) bored (b) cold (c) tired
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is sad? (a) Tara shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Tara’s cheek. (c) Tara was sad.
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is bored? (a) Kabir was bored. (b) Kabir laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Kabir counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Maria’s cheek.” (a) showing (b) telling
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was scared.” (a) telling (b) showing

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