Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 667 · 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?
   “Maria’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) angry
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is scared? (a) Saanvi was scared. (b) Saanvi’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Saanvi’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Tenzin’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) showing (b) telling
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is sad? (a) Priya was sad. (b) Priya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Priya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is angry? (a) Tenzin stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Tenzin was angry. (c) Tenzin’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is sad? (a) Tara’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Tara was sad. (c) Tara rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Imran felt very happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is sad? (a) Diya was sad. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Diya’s cheek. (c) Diya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is cold? (a) Ananya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Ananya was cold. (c) Ananya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is tired? (a) Diya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Diya was tired. (c) Diya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is scared? (a) Pooja was scared. (b) Pooja counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Pooja gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is sad? (a) Joseph was sad. (b) Tears filled Joseph’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Joseph beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is scared? (a) Ananya beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Ananya was scared. (c) Ananya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is happy? (a) Aryan was happy. (b) Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Aryan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was really happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is scared? (a) Neel licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Neel was scared. (c) Neel’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Kabir’s cheek.” (a) scared (b) cold (c) sad
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is scared? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Rohan’s cheek. (b) Rohan was scared. (c) Rohan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is angry? (a) Meera’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Meera stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Meera was angry.
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is tired? (a) Tenzin was tired. (b) Tenzin’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Tenzin sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) cold (b) hungry (c) bored
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) scared (b) hungry (c) happy
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is angry? (a) Diya was angry. (b) Diya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is scared? (a) Meera dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Meera was scared. (c) Meera froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is happy? (a) Ishaan was happy. (b) Ishaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Ishaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) showing (b) telling
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is bored? (a) Sneha was bored. (b) Sneha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Sneha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya felt very scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) telling (b) showing
31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) cold (b) hungry (c) bored
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.” (a) telling (b) showing
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is sad? (a) Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Ishaan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Ishaan was sad.
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) happy
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima felt very scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is tired? (a) Meera was tired. (b) Meera could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Meera’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) bored (b) angry (c) cold
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was really tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is happy? (a) Sahil was happy. (b) Sahil could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Sahil grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was sad.” (a) telling (b) showing

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