Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 689 · 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 sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is hungry? (a) Farhan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Farhan was hungry. (c) Farhan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is hungry? (a) Dev was hungry. (b) Dev sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Dev gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Meera was really hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tears filled Diya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) scared (b) angry (c) sad
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Saanvi drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) showing (b) telling
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is bored? (a) Pooja counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Pooja’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Pooja was bored.
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Saanvi hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) tired
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Fatima froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) tired (b) hungry (c) scared
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aarav licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) showing (b) telling
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is angry? (a) Pooja folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Pooja’s cheek. (c) Pooja was angry.
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is tired? (a) Diya was tired. (b) Diya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Diya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is sad? (a) Saanvi threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Tears filled Saanvi’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Saanvi was sad.
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan felt very sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is bored? (a) Sahil counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Sahil was bored. (c) Sahil beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) happy (b) angry (c) hungry
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is bored? (a) Saanvi laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Saanvi was bored. (c) Saanvi counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is scared? (a) Rohan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Rohan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Rohan was scared.
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is angry? (a) Imran sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Imran folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Imran was angry.
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) sad
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) showing (b) telling
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara was really bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) scared (b) tired (c) happy
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) scared
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) tired (b) cold (c) angry
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) telling (b) showing
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is happy? (a) Arjun’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Arjun was happy. (c) Arjun beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) tired
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) telling (b) showing
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) scared (b) bored (c) happy
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is sad? (a) Rohan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Rohan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Rohan was sad.
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) sad (b) tired (c) scared
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is sad? (a) Joseph was sad. (b) Joseph beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Tears filled Joseph’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) sad (b) happy (c) angry
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is hungry? (a) Diya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Diya was hungry. (c) Diya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is hungry? (a) Tenzin was hungry. (b) Tenzin kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Tenzin hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) happy (b) bored (c) scared
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) tired
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is bored? (a) Saanvi kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Saanvi’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Saanvi was bored.
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja felt very sad.” (a) showing (b) telling

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