Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 891 · 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?
   “Neel’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) telling (b) showing
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is sad? (a) Diya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Diya was sad. (c) Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is tired? (a) Nisha could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (b) Nisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Nisha was tired.
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Rohan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Rohan was tired.
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Ishaan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) telling (b) showing
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is scared? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Tenzin’s cheek. (b) Tenzin gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Tenzin was scared.
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) angry (b) hungry (c) scared
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is sad? (a) Kavya was sad. (b) Kavya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Tears filled Kavya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is bored? (a) Vihaan was bored. (b) Tears filled Vihaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Vihaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is sad? (a) Tears filled Arjun’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Arjun dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Arjun was sad.
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Nisha’s cheek.” (a) showing (b) telling
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) hungry
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) showing (b) telling
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is scared? (a) Manav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Manav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Manav was scared.
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is cold? (a) Arjun shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Arjun was cold. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek.
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera felt very hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) telling (b) showing
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is happy? (a) Sneha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Sneha beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Sneha was happy.
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) hungry (b) bored (c) tired
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is sad? (a) Tenzin was sad. (b) Tenzin kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Tenzin’s cheek.
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun felt very scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is scared? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Fatima’s cheek. (b) Fatima was scared. (c) Fatima gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) scared
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) bored (b) cold (c) happy
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) showing (b) telling
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is cold? (a) Riya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Riya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Riya was cold.
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan felt very tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) scared
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) bored (b) angry (c) scared
31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) tired (b) cold (c) scared
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) telling (b) showing
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is happy? (a) Kabir hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Kabir was happy. (c) Kabir could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) telling (b) showing
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is happy? (a) Imran was happy. (b) Imran shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Imran laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph was cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was really hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) hungry (b) bored (c) tired
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is bored? (a) Nisha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Nisha sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Nisha was bored.
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is tired? (a) Simran was tired. (b) Simran froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Simran dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.

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