Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 703 · 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 Neel is tired? (a) Neel was tired. (b) Neel dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Neel counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Meera shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) sad
3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Ananya folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) happy (b) angry (c) scared
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is tired? (a) Dev rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Dev’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Dev was tired.
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is happy? (a) Saanvi laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Saanvi’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Saanvi was happy.
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Rohan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) hungry (b) sad (c) happy
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Sneha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) bored (b) angry (c) happy
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Ishaan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) hungry (b) tired (c) cold
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is sad? (a) Kavya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Kavya was sad. (c) Kavya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) cold (b) tired (c) hungry
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash felt very bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) cold
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is scared? (a) Ishaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Ishaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Ishaan was scared.
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is cold? (a) Meera shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Meera was cold. (c) Meera’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is cold? (a) Riya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Riya was cold. (c) Riya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) bored (b) angry (c) happy
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) angry
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) hungry
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is scared? (a) Sahil licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Sahil was scared. (c) Sahil’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) happy (b) bored (c) cold
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) showing (b) telling
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is hungry? (a) Arjun’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Arjun was hungry. (c) Arjun counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is angry? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Kabir’s cheek. (b) Kabir was angry. (c) Kabir threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is bored? (a) Tenzin kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Tenzin’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Tenzin was bored.
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is angry? (a) Meera was angry. (b) Meera stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Meera beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash was happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is happy? (a) Zoya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Zoya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Zoya was happy.
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek.” (a) cold (b) scared (c) sad
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is angry? (a) Meera shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Meera was angry. (c) Meera folded her arms and glared at her brother.
31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) happy (b) cold (c) sad
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) telling (b) showing
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) bored
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) angry (b) sad (c) hungry
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) bored (b) hungry (c) scared
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan folded his arms and glared at his brother.” (a) showing (b) telling
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Rohan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Rohan was tired.
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is angry? (a) Priya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Priya was angry. (c) Priya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.” (a) telling (b) showing

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