Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 83 · 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?
   “Imran’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) scared (b) tired (c) bored
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aryan was tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Manav was angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aisha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) happy (b) hungry (c) sad
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Kavya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) cold
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is angry? (a) Sneha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Sneha beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Sneha was angry.
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is angry? (a) Vihaan was angry. (b) Vihaan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Vihaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Saanvi rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) showing (b) telling
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is hungry? (a) Riya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Riya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Riya was hungry.
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) telling (b) showing
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph was cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Maria’s cheek.” (a) scared (b) sad (c) tired
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) sad (b) hungry (c) happy
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja felt very cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was really happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is bored? (a) Ishaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Ishaan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Ishaan was bored.
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) scared (b) hungry (c) tired
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) showing (b) telling
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is angry? (a) Pooja was angry. (b) Pooja dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Pooja’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) hungry (b) happy (c) cold
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) showing (b) telling
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) telling (b) showing
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is angry? (a) Saanvi hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Saanvi folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Saanvi was angry.
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) cold (b) tired (c) hungry
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) showing (b) telling
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is hungry? (a) Maria was hungry. (b) Maria laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Maria licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is sad? (a) Maria was sad. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Maria’s cheek. (c) Maria drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha was angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is cold? (a) Sahil’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Sahil was cold. (c) Sahil drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) showing (b) telling
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan felt very angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is scared? (a) Kabir’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Kabir was scared.
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is scared? (a) Diya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Diya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Diya was scared.
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was really cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) bored (b) hungry (c) tired
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima felt very sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is happy? (a) Saanvi was happy. (b) Saanvi stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Saanvi laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.

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