Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 755 · 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 feeling does this sentence show?
   “Kabir hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) tired
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is tired? (a) Dev dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Dev’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Dev was tired.
3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tenzin beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) scared
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Simran laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) hungry (b) happy (c) tired
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is hungry? (a) Diya was hungry. (b) Diya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Diya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is hungry? (a) Ishaan was hungry. (b) Ishaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Ishaan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is hungry? (a) Imran was hungry. (b) Imran’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Tears filled Imran’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Zoya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) happy (b) angry (c) cold
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Simran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) hungry
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) showing (b) telling
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) telling (b) showing
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) cold (b) hungry (c) happy
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) telling (b) showing
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) sad (b) hungry (c) tired
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is angry? (a) Maria was angry. (b) Maria grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Maria’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is hungry? (a) Priya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Priya was hungry. (c) Priya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) happy (b) hungry (c) sad
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is scared? (a) Tara’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Tara was scared. (c) Tara sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is cold? (a) Tears filled Yash’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Yash’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Yash was cold.
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was really cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was really sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is tired? (a) Manav stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Manav was tired. (c) Manav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is sad? (a) Kavya was sad. (b) Tears filled Kavya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Kavya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Arjun was scared. (b) Arjun rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Arjun gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is sad? (a) Ishaan was sad. (b) Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Ishaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is bored? (a) Tara was bored. (b) Tara sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Tara kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is cold? (a) Riya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Riya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Riya was cold.
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is scared? (a) Tears filled Aarav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Aarav was scared. (c) Aarav gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha felt very sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) cold (b) sad (c) angry
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is hungry? (a) Saanvi was hungry. (b) Saanvi licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Saanvi’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is sad? (a) Meera stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Tears filled Meera’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Meera was sad.
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Dev’s cheek.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) sad
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) sad (b) tired (c) happy
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) showing (b) telling
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) cold
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is happy? (a) Pooja beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Pooja was happy. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Pooja’s cheek.
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is bored? (a) Rohan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Rohan was bored. (c) Rohan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.

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