Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 817 · 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 sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is hungry? (a) Neel kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Neel was hungry. (c) Neel’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Diya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) bored (b) scared (c) happy
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Diya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) showing (b) telling
4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Farhan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) telling (b) showing
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) hungry
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is angry? (a) Aisha could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (b) Aisha stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Aisha was angry.
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aryan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) bored
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Pooja was sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Meera gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.” (a) showing (b) telling
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha was tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan felt very sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is hungry? (a) Rohan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Rohan was hungry.
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) scared (b) sad (c) hungry
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) telling (b) showing
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan felt very cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) tired (b) hungry (c) sad
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is scared? (a) Aryan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Aryan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Aryan was scared.
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) scared
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) bored (b) angry (c) sad
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is angry? (a) Imran was angry. (b) Imran could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Imran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) cold
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is bored? (a) Farhan was bored. (b) Farhan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Farhan’s cheek.
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) telling (b) showing
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) showing (b) telling
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was really happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is hungry? (a) Tara threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Tara was hungry. (c) Tara’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara was really sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is hungry? (a) Ishaan was hungry. (b) Ishaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Ishaan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is cold? (a) Pooja sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Pooja’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Pooja was cold.
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) sad
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) angry
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) cold
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was really sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) scared (b) cold (c) happy
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is cold? (a) Saanvi drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Saanvi’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Saanvi was cold.
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is tired? (a) Imran was tired. (b) Imran could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Imran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is happy? (a) Pooja froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Pooja was happy. (c) Pooja hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is bored? (a) Nisha was bored. (b) Tears filled Nisha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Nisha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.

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