Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 836 · 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?
   “Riya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) telling (b) showing
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tears filled Priya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) sad (b) tired (c) happy
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Joseph licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) showing (b) telling
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is tired? (a) Nisha was tired. (b) Nisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Nisha could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is bored? (a) Farhan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Farhan was bored. (c) Farhan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is cold? (a) Nisha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Nisha was cold. (c) Nisha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Ishaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) cold
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Arjun felt very bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Neel sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) sad (b) hungry (c) bored
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) scared (b) happy (c) angry
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) scared (b) hungry (c) tired
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was really cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is angry? (a) Kabir kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Kabir’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Kabir was angry.
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan felt very cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is happy? (a) Tenzin was happy. (b) Tenzin’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Tenzin hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is sad? (a) Arjun’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek. (c) Arjun was sad.
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is happy? (a) Sneha was happy. (b) Sneha stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Sneha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) sad
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was really tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is cold? (a) Aarav was cold. (b) Aarav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) cold (b) bored (c) angry
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) angry (b) bored (c) happy
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) showing (b) telling
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is cold? (a) Aryan was cold. (b) Aryan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Aryan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) bored (b) hungry (c) scared
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is happy? (a) Rohan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Rohan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Rohan was happy.
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is scared? (a) Ananya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Ananya beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Ananya was scared.
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) showing (b) telling
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima felt very scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is scared? (a) Dev sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Dev gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Dev was scared.
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is happy? (a) Riya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Riya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Riya was happy.
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) hungry
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) tired
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Rohan was tired. (c) Tears filled Rohan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is hungry? (a) Simran was hungry. (b) Tears filled Simran’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Simran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) scared
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is cold? (a) Joseph was cold. (b) Joseph rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Joseph grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.

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