Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 901 · 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?
   “Tears filled Manav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) sad
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “A tear rolled slowly down Neel’s cheek.” (a) bored (b) scared (c) sad
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is cold? (a) Kavya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Kavya was cold. (c) Kavya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Sahil rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) tired (b) hungry (c) scared
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Sahil folded his arms and glared at his brother.” (a) hungry (b) bored (c) angry
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Zoya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) telling (b) showing
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Dev kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) showing (b) telling
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is scared? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Maria’s cheek. (b) Maria’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Maria was scared.
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is sad? (a) Manav was sad. (b) Manav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Manav sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) happy (b) angry (c) hungry
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is angry? (a) Pooja was angry. (b) Pooja threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Pooja drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) telling (b) showing
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) cold
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) scared
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha felt very sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) cold (b) scared (c) bored
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is happy? (a) Simran was happy. (b) Simran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Simran laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is happy? (a) Fatima rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Fatima beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Fatima was happy.
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) telling (b) showing
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is bored? (a) Simran was bored. (b) Simran counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Simran shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) bored
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) showing (b) telling
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) angry
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is scared? (a) Aryan was scared. (b) Aryan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Aryan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) telling (b) showing
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is happy? (a) Tenzin laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Tenzin stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Tenzin was happy.
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is tired? (a) Imran was tired. (b) Imran rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Tears filled Imran’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is tired? (a) Aisha was tired. (b) Aisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Aisha could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is tired? (a) Sahil gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Sahil dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Sahil was tired.
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is scared? (a) Pooja’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Pooja was scared. (c) Pooja rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) showing (b) telling
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is cold? (a) Neel beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Neel’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Neel was cold.
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is cold? (a) Aarav was cold. (b) Aarav stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Aarav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is cold? (a) Sneha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Sneha was cold. (c) Sneha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) bored (b) scared (c) sad
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is bored? (a) Aryan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Aryan was bored. (c) Aryan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is sad? (a) Yash was sad. (b) Yash’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Yash grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is scared? (a) Manav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Manav was scared. (c) Manav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) happy (b) cold (c) hungry
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) showing (b) telling

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