Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 715 · 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 Aisha is scared? (a) Aisha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Aisha was scared. (c) Aisha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is cold? (a) Imran’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Imran’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Imran was cold.
3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Nisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.” (a) angry (b) sad (c) hungry
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “A tear rolled slowly down Sneha’s cheek.” (a) scared (b) tired (c) sad
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Zoya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) angry
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is scared? (a) Vihaan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Vihaan was scared. (c) Vihaan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Diya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) cold (b) hungry (c) tired
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Kabir’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) showing (b) telling
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Saanvi kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) angry (b) sad (c) bored
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) telling (b) showing
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Imran’s cheek.” (a) showing (b) telling
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) sad
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is cold? (a) Rohan was cold. (b) Rohan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Rohan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is happy? (a) Neel was happy. (b) Neel beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Neel sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is bored? (a) Meera laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Meera sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Meera was bored.
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is hungry? (a) Neel gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Neel was hungry. (c) Neel kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) cold (b) hungry (c) happy
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is bored? (a) Vihaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Vihaan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Vihaan was bored.
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) telling (b) showing
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) cold (b) scared (c) bored
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is tired? (a) Farhan was tired. (b) Farhan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Farhan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is bored? (a) Priya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Priya was bored. (c) Priya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Kavya’s cheek.” (a) bored (b) sad (c) tired
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya felt very tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is angry? (a) Zoya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Zoya was angry. (c) Zoya folded her arms and glared at her brother.
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) angry
27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) hungry
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) telling (b) showing
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) telling (b) showing
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) sad
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria was really sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is scared? (a) Maria kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Maria was scared. (c) Maria’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) sad (b) hungry (c) cold
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) bored (b) scared (c) hungry
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is happy? (a) Kabir rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Kabir hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Kabir was happy.
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Kabir’s cheek.” (a) telling (b) showing
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) hungry (b) happy (c) sad
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) happy (b) scared (c) hungry
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.” (a) telling (b) showing

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