Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 732 · 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.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Kavya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) telling (b) showing
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Pooja laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) showing (b) telling
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Arjun’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) showing (b) telling
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is hungry? (a) Zoya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Zoya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Zoya was hungry.
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Manav was really tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is happy? (a) Arjun was happy. (b) Arjun laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Arjun sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is bored? (a) Imran was bored. (b) Imran’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Imran drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aarav stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Priya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) showing (b) telling
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is cold? (a) Ananya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Ananya was cold. (c) Ananya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Arjun’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) angry
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) angry
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) showing (b) telling
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) cold
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is happy? (a) Ananya was happy. (b) Ananya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Ananya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) bored (b) cold (c) hungry
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) happy (b) cold (c) scared
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is sad? (a) Tears filled Neel’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Neel was sad. (c) Neel’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is tired? (a) Yash’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Yash was tired. (c) Yash’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) scared
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is bored? (a) Aryan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Aryan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Aryan was bored.
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is bored? (a) Arjun was bored. (b) Arjun kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Arjun grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is scared? (a) Pooja was scared. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Pooja’s cheek. (c) Pooja gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is tired? (a) Zoya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Zoya was tired. (c) Zoya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) happy (b) bored (c) sad
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera felt very bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) telling (b) showing
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran was angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is hungry? (a) Aarav was hungry. (b) Aarav licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Aarav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is happy? (a) Ishaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Ishaan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Ishaan was happy.
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) bored (b) scared (c) tired
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Maria’s cheek. (b) Maria was sad. (c) Maria dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is scared? (a) Farhan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Farhan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Farhan was scared.
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.” (a) showing (b) telling
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima was really hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek. (b) Arjun was sad. (c) Arjun froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is cold? (a) Maria was cold. (b) Tears filled Maria’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Maria’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan felt very angry.” (a) showing (b) telling

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