Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 816 · 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?
   “Vihaan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) tired (b) angry (c) happy
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “A tear rolled slowly down Vihaan’s cheek.” (a) showing (b) telling
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Pooja felt very tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Diya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) cold
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Arjun was really scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Vihaan folded his arms and glared at his brother.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) angry
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tears filled Ananya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) cold
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Fatima sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) telling (b) showing
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Imran felt very bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) bored
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin felt very tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was really angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) showing (b) telling
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha felt very sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is hungry? (a) Rohan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Rohan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Rohan was hungry.
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan felt very angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is cold? (a) Farhan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Farhan was cold. (c) Tears filled Farhan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash was sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Tara’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) bored (b) sad (c) scared
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is scared? (a) Kabir froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Kabir was scared. (c) Kabir’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) cold (b) hungry (c) tired
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) telling (b) showing
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) bored
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is sad? (a) Rohan was sad. (b) Rohan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Rohan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha felt very angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) bored (b) tired (c) hungry
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Saanvi’s cheek.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) tired
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) tired (b) cold (c) sad
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) hungry
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) showing (b) telling
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is scared? (a) Kabir’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Kabir was scared. (c) Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is cold? (a) Neel’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Neel threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Neel was cold.
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was really sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is happy? (a) Nisha was happy. (b) Nisha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Nisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) hungry (b) bored (c) angry
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara was happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) showing (b) telling

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