Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 813 · 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?
   “Aisha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) tired
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Simran was angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Riya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) bored (b) angry (c) sad
4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sahil’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) showing (b) telling
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is tired? (a) Vihaan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Vihaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Vihaan was tired.
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Meera’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.” (a) showing (b) telling
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tears filled Arjun’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) sad
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is sad? (a) Aisha stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Aisha was sad. (c) Tears filled Aisha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Priya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) tired (b) hungry (c) cold
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) hungry (b) happy (c) bored
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) showing (b) telling
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) sad
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is angry? (a) Aarav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Aarav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Aarav was angry.
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is angry? (a) Kabir stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Kabir sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Kabir was angry.
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) bored (b) scared (c) tired
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) bored
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Diya’s cheek.” (a) showing (b) telling
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is cold? (a) Vihaan was cold. (b) Vihaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Vihaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) telling (b) showing
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is angry? (a) Farhan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Farhan was angry. (c) Farhan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is bored? (a) Tenzin rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Tenzin was bored. (c) Tenzin drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was really cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is hungry? (a) Aisha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Aisha was hungry. (c) Tears filled Aisha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is happy? (a) Aryan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Aryan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Aryan was happy.
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was really scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran was hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun felt very scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) cold
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) bored
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) hungry
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) angry (b) bored (c) scared
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan felt very bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) happy (b) angry (c) cold
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is happy? (a) Nisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Nisha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Nisha was happy.
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Meera’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) angry (b) sad (c) tired
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is scared? (a) Aarav was scared. (b) Aarav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Aarav kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) hungry
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) showing (b) telling

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