Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 923 · 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?
   “Aryan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) cold (b) bored (c) hungry
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “A tear rolled slowly down Joseph’s cheek.” (a) telling (b) showing
3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Meera folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) showing (b) telling
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is sad? (a) Diya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Diya was sad. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Diya’s cheek.
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is angry? (a) Neel was angry. (b) Neel threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) A tear rolled slowly down Neel’s cheek.
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Arjun kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) cold (b) bored (c) scared
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Nisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) telling (b) showing
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aryan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) showing (b) telling
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tara could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) tired
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Tara’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) angry
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Ananya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) angry (b) sad (c) tired
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is angry? (a) Farhan was angry. (b) Farhan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Farhan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) sad (b) bored (c) happy
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is hungry? (a) Imran’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Imran drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Imran was hungry.
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) scared (b) hungry (c) angry
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.” (a) telling (b) showing
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is hungry? (a) Vihaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Vihaan was hungry. (c) Vihaan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) scared (b) tired (c) angry
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is sad? (a) Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Kabir was sad. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Kabir’s cheek.
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) cold (b) hungry (c) happy
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is bored? (a) Ishaan was bored. (b) Ishaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Ishaan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is hungry? (a) Neel was hungry. (b) Neel licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Neel’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is hungry? (a) Vihaan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Vihaan was hungry. (c) Vihaan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) showing (b) telling
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.” (a) telling (b) showing
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is cold? (a) Tenzin licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Tenzin’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Tenzin was cold.
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is bored? (a) Neel dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Neel kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Neel was bored.
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is hungry? (a) Arjun was hungry. (b) Arjun gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Arjun shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha folded her arms and glared at her brother.” (a) happy (b) bored (c) angry
31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) sad
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) showing (b) telling
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is angry? (a) Ananya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Ananya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Ananya was angry.
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is tired? (a) Tara grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Tara’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Tara was tired.
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is sad? (a) Ishaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Ishaan was sad. (c) Ishaan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.” (a) showing (b) telling
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) happy
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) showing (b) telling
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) showing (b) telling
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is bored? (a) Kabir sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Kabir’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Kabir was bored.

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