Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 65 · 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 Meera’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) telling (b) showing
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Saanvi felt very bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Arjun gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Arjun grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Arjun was scared.
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aryan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) happy (b) tired (c) cold
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is happy? (a) Maria gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Maria grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Maria was happy.
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is bored? (a) Kavya was bored. (b) Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Kavya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is hungry? (a) Riya was hungry. (b) Riya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Riya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aarav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) cold
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aryan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) happy
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is scared? (a) Ananya was scared. (b) Ananya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Ananya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) scared (b) tired (c) bored
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) telling (b) showing
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is tired? (a) Manav kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Manav was tired. (c) Manav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is cold? (a) Kavya was cold. (b) Kavya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Kavya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is bored? (a) Dev was bored. (b) Dev grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Dev kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) happy (b) angry (c) tired
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is hungry? (a) Saanvi laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Saanvi kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Saanvi was hungry.
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) angry (b) tired (c) happy
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) showing (b) telling
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is bored? (a) Imran beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Imran was bored. (c) Imran kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is sad? (a) Priya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Priya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Priya was sad.
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is hungry? (a) Fatima was hungry. (b) Fatima kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Fatima beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) tired (b) hungry (c) angry
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) scared
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is tired? (a) Tara was tired. (b) Tara could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Tara kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is sad? (a) Arjun stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Tears filled Arjun’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Arjun was sad.
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) hungry
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) tired (b) hungry (c) scared
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) angry (b) tired (c) cold
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) showing (b) telling
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is happy? (a) Saanvi could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (b) Saanvi laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Saanvi was happy.
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is sad? (a) Yash was sad. (b) Tears filled Yash’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Yash licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is sad? (a) Kavya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Kavya was sad. (c) Kavya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is tired? (a) Dev threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Dev was tired. (c) Dev’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) showing (b) telling
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is happy? (a) Joseph rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Joseph was happy. (c) Joseph beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) cold (b) hungry (c) happy
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) happy (b) cold (c) bored
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is cold? (a) Nisha was cold. (b) Tears filled Nisha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Nisha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.

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