Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 654 · 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?
   “Kabir felt very hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Priya was angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sahil was really angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Yash felt very angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Sneha folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) bored (b) sad (c) angry
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is bored? (a) Farhan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Farhan was bored. (c) Farhan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Meera stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Meera counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) sad (b) angry (c) bored
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is tired? (a) Maria was tired. (b) Maria kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Maria dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is tired? (a) Meera sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Meera could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Meera was tired.
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is sad? (a) Ananya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Ananya was sad. (c) Ananya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is tired? (a) Neel’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Neel’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Neel was tired.
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) showing (b) telling
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) tired
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is sad? (a) Kabir was sad. (b) Kabir drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Kabir’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) angry (b) sad (c) happy
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is angry? (a) Zoya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Zoya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Zoya was angry.
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was really tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran felt very tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya was really happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) bored
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) cold
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) tired (b) cold (c) happy
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) telling (b) showing
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan felt very hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya felt very happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is hungry? (a) Aisha was hungry. (b) Aisha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Aisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) telling (b) showing
31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) bored (b) hungry (c) sad
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) happy (b) bored (c) angry
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is hungry? (a) Dev folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) Dev kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Dev was hungry.
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) bored (b) sad (c) happy
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is tired? (a) Saanvi’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Saanvi was tired. (c) Saanvi could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is bored? (a) Pooja was bored. (b) Pooja grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Pooja sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) angry
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is sad? (a) Rohan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Rohan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Rohan was sad.
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) showing (b) telling
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Maria’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) scared (b) sad (c) tired

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