Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 872 · 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?
   “Aarav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) hungry (b) bored (c) tired
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Farhan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) hungry
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Imran felt very hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Farhan was bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Diya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) cold (b) scared (c) bored
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Sahil laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) tired (b) hungry (c) happy
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Yash gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) bored (b) angry (c) hungry
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is angry? (a) Tenzin hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Tenzin was angry. (c) Tenzin stamped his foot and slammed the door.
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is bored? (a) Tara was bored. (b) Tara’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Tara counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is scared? (a) Tenzin was scared. (b) Tenzin’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Tenzin rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) showing (b) telling
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) happy
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is happy? (a) Fatima was happy. (b) Fatima kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Fatima hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.” (a) happy (b) angry (c) cold
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is angry? (a) Zoya was angry. (b) Zoya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Zoya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) happy
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is scared? (a) Dev’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Dev’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Dev was scared.
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir folded his arms and glared at his brother.” (a) scared (b) hungry (c) angry
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was really sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) telling (b) showing
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) telling (b) showing
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is hungry? (a) Meera’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Meera was hungry. (c) Meera’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) angry
27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) angry
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan felt very hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is sad? (a) Neel was sad. (b) Neel’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Neel beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) telling (b) showing
31. 31.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 could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) telling (b) showing
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is angry? (a) Aryan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Aryan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Aryan was angry.
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) telling (b) showing
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is cold? (a) Rohan was cold. (b) Rohan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Rohan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is scared? (a) Joseph gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Joseph shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Joseph was scared.
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) hungry
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is scared? (a) Simran was scared. (b) Simran’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Simran’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) cold (b) bored (c) angry
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is sad? (a) Tenzin was sad. (b) Tenzin threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Tenzin’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.

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