Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 778 · 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?
   “Dev shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) bored (b) hungry (c) cold
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Yash kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) telling (b) showing
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is bored? (a) Priya was bored. (b) Priya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Priya’s cheek.
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is cold? (a) Dev’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Dev was cold. (c) Dev shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is scared? (a) Vihaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Vihaan was scared. (c) Vihaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is sad? (a) Ananya was sad. (b) Ananya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Ananya’s cheek.
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Zoya was cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is cold? (a) Kabir was cold. (b) Kabir gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Kabir’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Zoya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) showing (b) telling
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is scared? (a) Aarav was scared. (b) Aarav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Aarav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) sad
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) showing (b) telling
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is angry? (a) Meera threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Meera was angry. (c) Meera dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is hungry? (a) Ananya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Ananya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Ananya was hungry.
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is cold? (a) Sneha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Sneha was cold. (c) Sneha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) angry
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is happy? (a) Yash drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Yash was happy. (c) Yash hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) cold
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is scared? (a) Joseph rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Joseph was scared. (c) Joseph’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) telling (b) showing
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was really happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is tired? (a) Tara’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Tara rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Tara was tired.
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya felt very tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) tired (b) angry (c) happy
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara was happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) bored (b) scared (c) tired
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya felt very sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) cold
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is angry? (a) Vihaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Vihaan was angry. (c) Vihaan folded his arms and glared at his brother.
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) showing (b) telling
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) scared (b) bored (c) happy
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Meera’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) telling (b) showing
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is happy? (a) Priya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Priya was happy. (c) Priya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) hungry (b) happy (c) bored
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is bored? (a) Vihaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Vihaan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Vihaan was bored.
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) showing (b) telling
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is hungry? (a) Rohan was hungry. (b) Rohan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Rohan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran was really happy.” (a) showing (b) telling

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