Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 822 · 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 Rohan is cold? (a) Rohan was cold. (b) Rohan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Rohan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is angry? (a) Maria was angry. (b) Maria folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Maria’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “A tear rolled slowly down Priya’s cheek.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) happy
4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Tears filled Neel’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) telling (b) showing
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Simran’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) telling (b) showing
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Maria stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) happy (b) tired (c) angry
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Joseph was really hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sahil sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) telling (b) showing
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Saanvi shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) showing (b) telling
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) sad
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) telling (b) showing
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) telling (b) showing
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) cold
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) happy (b) scared (c) tired
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) angry (b) tired (c) cold
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is tired? (a) Maria was tired. (b) Maria dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Maria grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) telling (b) showing
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) bored (b) scared (c) hungry
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is sad? (a) Tears filled Neel’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Neel was sad. (c) Neel could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) sad
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha was really sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is sad? (a) Tenzin dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Tenzin’s cheek. (c) Tenzin was sad.
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) telling (b) showing
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is sad? (a) Nisha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Tears filled Nisha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Nisha was sad.
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi felt very hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) tired
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya felt very tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) bored (b) angry (c) tired
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is scared? (a) Zoya was scared. (b) Zoya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Zoya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was really bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is sad? (a) Priya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Priya was sad. (c) Priya stamped her foot and slammed the door.
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is happy? (a) Saanvi was happy. (b) Saanvi dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Saanvi hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) scared
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Diya’s cheek.” (a) hungry (b) sad (c) angry
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) scared
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is bored? (a) Joseph counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Joseph was bored. (c) Tears filled Joseph’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Arjun was scared. (b) Arjun kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) sad (b) tired (c) cold
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) telling (b) showing

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