Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 802 · 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?
   “Neel’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) cold (b) sad (c) scared
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Priya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) bored
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sahil threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) showing (b) telling
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Vihaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) bored
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is happy? (a) Nisha was happy. (b) Nisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Nisha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Riya felt very tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is sad? (a) Maria stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Maria was sad. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Maria’s cheek.
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Sneha’s cheek. (b) Sneha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Sneha was sad.
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is happy? (a) Arjun hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Arjun could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Arjun was happy.
10. 10.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.
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) scared (b) hungry (c) tired
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is happy? (a) Tenzin sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Tenzin was happy. (c) Tenzin laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is scared? (a) Fatima dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Fatima was scared. (c) Fatima gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is bored? (a) Imran was bored. (b) Imran sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Imran shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is happy? (a) Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Arjun grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Arjun was happy.
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is sad? (a) Nisha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Nisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Nisha was sad.
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) bored (b) scared (c) hungry
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was really tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is tired? (a) Sahil was tired. (b) Sahil sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Sahil rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) telling (b) showing
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is angry? (a) Joseph’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Joseph was angry. (c) Joseph threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) sad (b) angry (c) hungry
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran felt very bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) hungry
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) cold (b) sad (c) happy
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) cold
27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) scared
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) bored
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan felt very scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is angry? (a) Kabir’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Kabir was angry. (c) Kabir folded his arms and glared at his brother.
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is cold? (a) Tenzin was cold. (b) Tenzin’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Tenzin counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is cold? (a) Aisha was cold. (b) Aisha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Aisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) telling (b) showing
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha felt very tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is hungry? (a) Imran gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Imran was hungry. (c) Tears filled Imran’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is happy? (a) Joseph beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Joseph’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Joseph was happy.
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is bored? (a) Imran kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Imran’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Imran was bored.
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) hungry (b) bored (c) angry
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is happy? (a) Diya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Diya was happy. (c) Diya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) bored (b) sad (c) cold

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