Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 720 · 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 Zoya is sad? (a) Zoya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Zoya was sad. (c) Zoya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Meera was tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aarav felt very bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Dev grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) happy (b) tired (c) cold
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is sad? (a) Meera was sad. (b) Meera gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Tears filled Meera’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is scared? (a) Farhan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Farhan was scared. (c) Farhan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is angry? (a) Dev was angry. (b) Tears filled Dev’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Dev stamped his foot and slammed the door.
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is sad? (a) Meera sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Meera was sad. (c) Meera dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is scared? (a) Tara dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Tara gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Tara was scared.
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is happy? (a) Meera grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Meera was happy. (c) Meera kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) showing (b) telling
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan was really happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was really scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) showing (b) telling
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is scared? (a) Nisha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Nisha was scared. (c) Nisha froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) sad (b) angry (c) cold
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) cold (b) sad (c) angry
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) telling (b) showing
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) showing (b) telling
21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) cold (b) angry (c) happy
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) telling (b) showing
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is cold? (a) Fatima folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Fatima shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Fatima was cold.
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is tired? (a) Tenzin’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Tenzin dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Tenzin was tired.
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Joseph’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) cold (b) sad (c) tired
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) angry
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima was hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin felt very sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Neel’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) telling (b) showing
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was really angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was really cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.” (a) showing (b) telling
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is tired? (a) Maria dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Maria was tired. (c) Maria counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is hungry? (a) Tears filled Nisha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (b) Nisha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Nisha was hungry.
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was really bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) hungry (b) tired (c) happy
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) telling (b) showing
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) angry
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) cold (b) scared (c) sad
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) happy (b) bored (c) angry

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