Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 793 · 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?
   “Farhan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) bored (b) scared (c) sad
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aryan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) telling (b) showing
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is sad? (a) Diya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Tears filled Diya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Diya was sad.
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is bored? (a) Priya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Priya was bored. (c) Priya folded her arms and glared at her brother.
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is happy? (a) Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Arjun was happy. (c) Arjun laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is tired? (a) Pooja folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Pooja was tired. (c) Pooja could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Neel laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) showing (b) telling
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aryan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) tired (b) angry (c) bored
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Tears filled Ananya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) telling (b) showing
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya felt very happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav was happy. (b) Aarav sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) telling (b) showing
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is tired? (a) Priya was tired. (b) Priya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Priya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is tired? (a) Manav was tired. (b) Manav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Manav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is sad? (a) Tears filled Saanvi’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (b) Saanvi threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Saanvi was sad.
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Sahil’s cheek.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) hungry
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya felt very happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) hungry
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) bored
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is tired? (a) Vihaan was tired. (b) Vihaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Vihaan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) angry (b) bored (c) happy
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is cold? (a) Ishaan was cold. (b) Ishaan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Ishaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Rohan stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Rohan was tired.
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is happy? (a) Joseph rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Joseph beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Joseph was happy.
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is happy? (a) Maria laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Maria’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Maria was happy.
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is scared? (a) Imran’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Imran was scared. (c) Imran beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is scared? (a) Vihaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Vihaan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Vihaan was scared.
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) showing (b) telling
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is hungry? (a) Saanvi grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Saanvi was hungry. (c) Saanvi’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.” (a) telling (b) showing
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was really scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is hungry? (a) Zoya was hungry. (b) Zoya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Zoya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is angry? (a) Manav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Manav was angry. (c) Manav stamped his foot and slammed the door.
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is hungry? (a) Aryan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Aryan was hungry. (c) Aryan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Aarav’s cheek.” (a) telling (b) showing
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is cold? (a) Kavya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Kavya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Kavya was cold.
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) scared
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) happy (b) angry (c) bored
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is sad? (a) Zoya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (b) Zoya was sad. (c) Zoya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.

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