Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 877 · 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 sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is tired? (a) Priya was tired. (b) Priya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Priya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Manav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) tired (b) happy (c) bored
3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek.” (a) scared (b) hungry (c) sad
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “A tear rolled slowly down Riya’s cheek.” (a) scared (b) sad (c) bored
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is happy? (a) Pooja hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Pooja was happy. (c) Pooja’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Ishaan was really sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is happy? (a) Farhan was happy. (b) Farhan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Farhan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Sahil shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) scared (b) hungry (c) cold
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Ananya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) sad (b) tired (c) angry
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph felt very bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) telling (b) showing
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was really cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) showing (b) telling
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) sad (b) cold (c) angry
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) showing (b) telling
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is bored? (a) Vihaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Vihaan was bored. (c) Vihaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.” (a) showing (b) telling
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is scared? (a) Aisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Aisha was scared. (c) Aisha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is bored? (a) Manav was bored. (b) Manav folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Manav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) tired (b) cold (c) angry
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is bored? (a) Vihaan was bored. (b) Vihaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Vihaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) telling (b) showing
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) showing (b) telling
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is cold? (a) Ananya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Ananya was cold. (c) Ananya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) showing (b) telling
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is scared? (a) Meera was scared. (b) Meera threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Meera gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) happy
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara was bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is happy? (a) Manav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Manav was happy. (c) Manav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) scared (b) tired (c) hungry
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is bored? (a) Sneha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Sneha was bored. (c) Sneha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Sahil’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) happy (b) cold (c) sad
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) showing (b) telling
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is hungry? (a) Ishaan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Ishaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Ishaan was hungry.
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) bored (b) sad (c) happy
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) telling (b) showing
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) scared
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) cold (b) hungry (c) tired

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