Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 838 · 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?
   “Meera was cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Maria stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) happy
3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Nisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) happy (b) scared (c) tired
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) cold (b) scared (c) bored
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is scared? (a) Rohan was scared. (b) Rohan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Rohan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Neel felt very cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Riya was tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Nisha was really happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is tired? (a) Meera grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Meera rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Meera was tired.
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) angry
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was really bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was really cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) sad (b) hungry (c) tired
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) happy (b) bored (c) hungry
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is cold? (a) Kabir’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Kabir’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Kabir was cold.
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya felt very happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is angry? (a) Sneha was angry. (b) Sneha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Sneha folded her arms and glared at her brother.
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) showing (b) telling
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya felt very hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is sad? (a) Fatima’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Fatima was sad. (c) Tears filled Fatima’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Arjun was scared. (b) Arjun gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Arjun folded his arms and glared at his brother.
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) hungry (b) sad (c) cold
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) tired (b) angry (c) bored
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) telling (b) showing
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun felt very bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was really scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is tired? (a) Manav was tired. (b) Manav gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Manav could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) cold (b) happy (c) angry
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is tired? (a) Joseph was tired. (b) Joseph stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Joseph’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) sad (b) hungry (c) happy
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) happy
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is scared? (a) Simran was scared. (b) Simran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Simran froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) hungry (b) sad (c) cold
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was really angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is cold? (a) Saanvi was cold. (b) Saanvi’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Saanvi stamped her foot and slammed the door.
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is hungry? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Rohan’s cheek. (b) Rohan was hungry. (c) Rohan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.” (a) showing (b) telling
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was angry.” (a) telling (b) showing

Free creative writing lessons, practice and worksheets at talentjr.in/creative-writing-for-kids