Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 85 · 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?
   “Tenzin’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) sad (b) cold (c) happy
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Manav kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) angry (b) sad (c) hungry
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “A tear rolled slowly down Neel’s cheek.” (a) showing (b) telling
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Diya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) hungry
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Priya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) telling (b) showing
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Meera’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) telling (b) showing
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is cold? (a) Aarav was cold. (b) Tears filled Aarav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Aarav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tears filled Meera’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) cold (b) sad (c) bored
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is cold? (a) Farhan was cold. (b) Farhan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Farhan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is happy? (a) Tara was happy. (b) Tara rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Tara grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) hungry
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) cold (b) angry (c) happy
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is tired? (a) Riya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (b) Riya was tired. (c) Riya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) cold (b) scared (c) tired
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Joseph’s cheek.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) sad
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) showing (b) telling
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) bored (b) angry (c) happy
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is angry? (a) Aisha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Aisha folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Aisha was angry.
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) cold
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) telling (b) showing
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was really happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) telling (b) showing
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was really sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) hungry
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) hungry (b) tired (c) scared
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) showing (b) telling
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran was scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is happy? (a) Neel was happy. (b) Neel hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Neel’s cheek.
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is sad? (a) Tenzin was sad. (b) Tears filled Tenzin’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Tenzin shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is happy? (a) Kabir was happy. (b) Kabir gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) scared
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan was sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) telling (b) showing
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is scared? (a) Kabir’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Kabir was scared. (c) Kabir shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) scared (b) bored (c) cold
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is hungry? (a) Farhan was hungry. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Farhan’s cheek. (c) Farhan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.

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