Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 78 · 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?
   “Saanvi was happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Zoya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) tired (b) bored (c) hungry
3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Imran dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) scared (b) angry (c) tired
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is scared? (a) Nisha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Nisha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Nisha was scared.
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is cold? (a) Aarav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Aarav was cold. (c) Aarav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Joseph could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) angry
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is bored? (a) Saanvi sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Saanvi sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Saanvi was bored.
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Nisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) cold (b) hungry (c) angry
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aarav was really angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara felt very hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) happy
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran was really tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Rohan was tired. (c) Rohan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) tired (b) bored (c) scared
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is sad? (a) Pooja’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Pooja was sad. (c) Pooja laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was really tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is tired? (a) Ishaan was tired. (b) Ishaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Ishaan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) bored (b) cold (c) sad
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is cold? (a) Ishaan was cold. (b) Ishaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Ishaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is angry? (a) Tara was angry. (b) Tara grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Tara folded her arms and glared at her brother.
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) cold
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph felt very happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) tired (b) angry (c) scared
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) telling (b) showing
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is happy? (a) Neel beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Neel was happy. (c) Neel threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) showing (b) telling
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is sad? (a) Fatima was sad. (b) Fatima’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Fatima grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) showing (b) telling
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) scared (b) bored (c) hungry
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is scared? (a) Kavya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Kavya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Kavya was scared.
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is cold? (a) Aryan was cold. (b) Aryan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Aryan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is sad? (a) Diya was sad. (b) Diya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is tired? (a) Zoya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Zoya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Zoya was tired.
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is cold? (a) Saanvi was cold. (b) Saanvi sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Saanvi’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is happy? (a) Vihaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Vihaan was happy. (c) Vihaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran felt very cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is bored? (a) Neel was bored. (b) Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Neel kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.

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