Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 848 · 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?
   “Aryan was really hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Maria could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) sad (b) tired (c) cold
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sneha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) telling (b) showing
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Sahil’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) tired (b) hungry (c) cold
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Neel felt very cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Imran sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) showing (b) telling
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Joseph was really bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Arjun was scared. (b) Arjun’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Arjun’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Zoya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) hungry (b) scared (c) tired
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is happy? (a) Farhan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Farhan was happy. (c) Farhan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) angry
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was really scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is sad? (a) Kavya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Kavya was sad. (c) Kavya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Nisha’s cheek.” (a) sad (b) cold (c) tired
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha felt very tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) angry (b) sad (c) hungry
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is tired? (a) Imran was tired. (b) Imran dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Imran beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is scared? (a) Tenzin was scared. (b) Tenzin laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Tenzin froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is happy? (a) Priya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Priya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Priya was happy.
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Imran’s cheek.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan felt very angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) scared (b) angry (c) bored
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is happy? (a) Tears filled Kabir’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Kabir was happy.
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) showing (b) telling
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) bored
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is sad? (a) Manav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Manav was sad. (c) Manav folded his arms and glared at his brother.
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) telling (b) showing
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is scared? (a) Dev was scared. (b) Dev froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Dev gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is tired? (a) Joseph’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Joseph was tired. (c) Joseph dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) hungry
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) cold (b) hungry (c) tired
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) telling (b) showing
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) happy
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) showing (b) telling
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) hungry (b) scared (c) tired
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan felt very bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) happy (b) scared (c) angry
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Rohan’s cheek.” (a) hungry (b) bored (c) sad

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