Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 733 · 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?
   “Imran was hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tara’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) cold
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Ananya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) telling (b) showing
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Ishaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) hungry (b) sad (c) cold
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Dev felt very happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is tired? (a) Tara dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Tara gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Tara was tired.
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Imran gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) tired
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Pooja was really tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Arjun’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) cold
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is happy? (a) Diya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Diya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Diya was happy.
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) tired
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is angry? (a) Ishaan was angry. (b) Ishaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Ishaan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is bored? (a) Zoya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Zoya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Zoya was bored.
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is bored? (a) Joseph gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Joseph was bored. (c) Joseph kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima was really happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is tired? (a) Ishaan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Ishaan was tired. (c) Ishaan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya was really scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) telling (b) showing
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is scared? (a) Manav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Manav was scared. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Manav’s cheek.
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) sad (b) scared (c) angry
21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) cold
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) bored (b) cold (c) tired
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria was really hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) showing (b) telling
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is hungry? (a) Rohan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Rohan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Rohan was hungry.
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is happy? (a) Nisha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Nisha was happy. (c) Nisha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) hungry (b) tired (c) sad
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is bored? (a) Kabir was bored. (b) Kabir’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Kabir drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) sad
31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) bored (b) cold (c) angry
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is happy? (a) Aryan was happy. (b) Aryan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Aryan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) scared
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is sad? (a) Manav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Manav was sad. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Manav’s cheek.
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was really sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) scared
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) happy (b) cold (c) bored
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was really angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.” (a) angry (b) sad (c) cold
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was cold.” (a) telling (b) showing

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