Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 825 · 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 Kabir is hungry? (a) Tears filled Kabir’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Kabir was hungry. (c) Kabir licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Rohan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) sad (b) tired (c) hungry
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Zoya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) showing (b) telling
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Kavya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) sad
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Meera folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) showing (b) telling
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is scared? (a) Aisha was scared. (b) Aisha folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Aisha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Ananya was tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Yash gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) bored (b) sad (c) hungry
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Vihaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) sad (b) hungry (c) cold
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) showing (b) telling
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) showing (b) telling
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is tired? (a) Ananya was tired. (b) Ananya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Ananya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is cold? (a) Farhan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Farhan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Farhan was cold.
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is sad? (a) Tenzin was sad. (b) Tenzin drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Tenzin’s cheek.
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) telling (b) showing
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav felt very sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin felt very hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) hungry
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) cold (b) angry (c) hungry
21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Nisha’s cheek.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) sad
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is hungry? (a) Fatima’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Fatima was hungry. (c) Fatima kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Yash’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) telling (b) showing
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is cold? (a) Sneha stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Sneha was cold. (c) Sneha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) showing (b) telling
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) telling (b) showing
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is scared? (a) Zoya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Zoya was scared. (c) Zoya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun felt very angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is tired? (a) Sneha was tired. (b) Sneha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Sneha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is hungry? (a) Riya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Riya was hungry. (c) Riya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is bored? (a) Sahil sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Sahil’s cheek. (c) Sahil was bored.
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Simran’s cheek.” (a) sad (b) tired (c) bored
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is scared? (a) Diya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Diya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Diya was scared.
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) telling (b) showing
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Pooja’s cheek.” (a) hungry (b) sad (c) tired
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is happy? (a) Nisha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Nisha was happy. (c) Nisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) cold (b) tired (c) bored
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) cold (b) sad (c) happy
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) showing (b) telling
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is happy? (a) Nisha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Nisha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Nisha was happy.

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