Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 757 · 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?
   “Tara kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) telling (b) showing
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is tired? (a) Fatima dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Fatima stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Fatima was tired.
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is tired? (a) Priya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Priya was tired. (c) Priya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tara’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) hungry
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Sneha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) tired (b) bored (c) hungry
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is angry? (a) Ananya was angry. (b) Ananya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Tears filled Ananya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is bored? (a) Ananya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Ananya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Ananya was bored.
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is tired? (a) Nisha could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (b) Nisha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Nisha was tired.
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sneha drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) showing (b) telling
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) telling (b) showing
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera felt very happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is sad? (a) Sahil was sad. (b) Sahil’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Tears filled Sahil’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is hungry? (a) Rohan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Rohan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Rohan was hungry.
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) angry (b) bored (c) sad
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is scared? (a) Ananya was scared. (b) Ananya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Ananya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.” (a) telling (b) showing
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) telling (b) showing
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is sad? (a) Priya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Priya was sad. (c) Priya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) telling (b) showing
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) hungry (b) tired (c) angry
22. 22.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 shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is scared? (a) Ananya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Ananya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Ananya was scared.
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) scared
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) tired (b) hungry (c) cold
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) showing (b) telling
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is bored? (a) Ananya was bored. (b) Ananya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Ananya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima felt very angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) scared (b) hungry (c) bored
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) telling (b) showing
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is bored? (a) Aryan was bored. (b) Aryan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Aryan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) hungry (b) bored (c) cold
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is happy? (a) Dev beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Dev was happy. (c) Dev’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) hungry
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) cold (b) bored (c) scared
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) scared
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is sad? (a) Vihaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Vihaan was sad. (c) Tears filled Vihaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) tired
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) tired (b) angry (c) hungry

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