Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 790 · 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?
   “Sahil threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) happy (b) angry (c) scared
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sneha felt very happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is sad? (a) Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Ishaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Ishaan was sad.
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Ananya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) hungry
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Fatima could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) tired
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Nisha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) cold
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Fatima’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) showing (b) telling
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is cold? (a) Meera was cold. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Meera’s cheek. (c) Meera’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aryan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) happy (b) scared (c) tired
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) showing (b) telling
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) scared (b) sad (c) cold
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) telling (b) showing
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) happy
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is scared? (a) Dev gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Dev kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Dev was scared.
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is happy? (a) Ishaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Ishaan was happy. (c) Ishaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was really sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) showing (b) telling
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is happy? (a) Aisha stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Aisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Aisha was happy.
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is tired? (a) Manav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Tears filled Manav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Manav was tired.
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is bored? (a) Aisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Aisha was bored. (c) Aisha sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is scared? (a) Diya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Diya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Diya was scared.
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) cold (b) angry (c) bored
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Rohan’s cheek.” (a) hungry (b) sad (c) scared
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Nisha’s cheek.” (a) telling (b) showing
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.” (a) angry (b) tired (c) happy
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is angry? (a) Dev was angry. (b) Dev’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Tears filled Dev’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav felt very sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) showing (b) telling
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is happy? (a) Riya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Riya was happy. (c) Riya stamped her foot and slammed the door.
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev felt very sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is hungry? (a) Manav licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Manav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Manav was hungry.
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Sneha’s cheek.” (a) scared (b) sad (c) tired
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) tired (b) bored (c) happy
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) cold (b) scared (c) angry
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is angry? (a) Tears filled Diya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (b) Diya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Diya was angry.
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is scared? (a) Diya was scared. (b) Diya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Diya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is sad? (a) Maria froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Maria was sad. (c) Tears filled Maria’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) happy (b) angry (c) sad

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