Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 780 · 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?
   “Tenzin threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) tired (b) angry (c) happy
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Priya was really scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is sad? (a) Sneha was sad. (b) Tears filled Sneha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Sneha beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Riya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) telling (b) showing
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Dev gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) telling (b) showing
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Neel sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) showing (b) telling
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aryan was happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Fatima kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) cold (b) hungry (c) bored
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Nisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) telling (b) showing
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya felt very scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is sad? (a) Ananya was sad. (b) Ananya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Ananya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel felt very angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was really tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Tenzin’s cheek.” (a) showing (b) telling
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) bored (b) cold (c) happy
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Ananya’s cheek.” (a) bored (b) sad (c) happy
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is tired? (a) Ishaan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Ishaan was tired. (c) Ishaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.” (a) sad (b) hungry (c) angry
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) tired (b) bored (c) happy
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) happy (b) cold (c) hungry
21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) hungry
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) bored (b) tired (c) hungry
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) telling (b) showing
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) bored
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) tired (b) hungry (c) angry
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is angry? (a) Maria was angry. (b) Maria’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Maria’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan was tired. (b) Rohan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Rohan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir felt very bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is angry? (a) Maria rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Maria was angry. (c) Maria threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is bored? (a) Neel’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Neel was bored. (c) Neel kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is hungry? (a) Yash licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Yash was hungry. (c) Yash hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is sad? (a) Kavya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Kavya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Kavya was sad.
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Rohan’s cheek.” (a) telling (b) showing
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) tired (b) hungry (c) bored
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is angry? (a) Kavya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Kavya was angry. (c) Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) showing (b) telling
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) cold
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is cold? (a) Diya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Diya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Diya was cold.

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