Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 830 · 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.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Kabir was hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Dev’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) cold
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Meera’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) telling (b) showing
4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Imran was angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Yash could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) hungry
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Neel folded his arms and glared at his brother.” (a) showing (b) telling
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is bored? (a) Riya was bored. (b) Riya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Riya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Neel rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) telling (b) showing
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Priya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) cold (b) angry (c) scared
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) scared
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) telling (b) showing
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) showing (b) telling
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) sad
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) bored (b) cold (c) angry
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is hungry? (a) Maria kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Maria dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Maria was hungry.
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) telling (b) showing
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) showing (b) telling
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is scared? (a) Priya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Priya was scared. (c) Priya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is bored? (a) Neel was bored. (b) Neel counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Neel threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is sad? (a) Diya was sad. (b) Diya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Diya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is sad? (a) Ishaan was sad. (b) Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Ishaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) sad (b) tired (c) cold
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) showing (b) telling
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya was sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is tired? (a) Farhan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Farhan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Farhan was tired.
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha felt very angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is scared? (a) Ishaan was scared. (b) Ishaan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Ishaan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is happy? (a) Dev beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Dev could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Dev was happy.
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) sad (b) hungry (c) scared
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was really scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is hungry? (a) Aisha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Aisha was hungry. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Aisha’s cheek.
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is happy? (a) Simran stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Simran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Simran was happy.
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is bored? (a) Aisha was bored. (b) Aisha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Aisha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) telling (b) showing
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is tired? (a) Joseph was tired. (b) Joseph rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Joseph could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is scared? (a) Aarav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Aarav was scared. (c) Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) hungry (b) bored (c) sad
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) showing (b) telling

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