Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 880 · 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 Rohan is sad? (a) Rohan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Rohan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Rohan was sad.
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Manav was cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Riya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.” (a) happy (b) scared (c) sad
4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Rohan was bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Ananya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) cold (b) tired (c) angry
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is happy? (a) Diya beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Diya was happy. (c) Diya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Meera’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “A tear rolled slowly down Maria’s cheek.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) scared
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Kavya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) showing (b) telling
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) showing (b) telling
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) showing (b) telling
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was really scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is happy? (a) Pooja was happy. (b) Pooja hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Pooja’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) telling (b) showing
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) scared (b) bored (c) happy
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Rohan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Rohan was tired.
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Aarav was happy. (c) Aarav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Maria’s cheek.” (a) showing (b) telling
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) happy (b) hungry (c) sad
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) tired (b) bored (c) sad
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha was really happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is cold? (a) Zoya was cold. (b) Zoya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Zoya stamped her foot and slammed the door.
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) sad (b) tired (c) hungry
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is angry? (a) Imran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Imran was angry. (c) Imran’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is hungry? (a) Yash folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) Yash kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Yash was hungry.
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) hungry (b) happy (c) scared
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) angry
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) bored (b) tired (c) cold
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel felt very hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Sahil’s cheek.” (a) telling (b) showing
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) hungry
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Arjun was scared. (b) Arjun sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Tears filled Arjun’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Arjun’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Arjun was scared.
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan felt very bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) sad
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is scared? (a) Rohan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Rohan was scared. (c) Rohan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) hungry

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