Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 930 · 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?
   “Kabir was happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Kavya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) scared (b) sad (c) cold
3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tears filled Dev’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) scared (b) sad (c) angry
4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Maria sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) telling (b) showing
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Sahil kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) tired (b) hungry (c) sad
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is hungry? (a) Kavya was hungry. (b) Kavya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Kavya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Saanvi grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) telling (b) showing
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Yash laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) cold
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Zoya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) showing (b) telling
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is happy? (a) Ishaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Ishaan was happy. (c) Ishaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was really happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) angry (b) bored (c) happy
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun felt very angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is happy? (a) Arjun hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Arjun dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Arjun was happy.
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Arjun’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) sad
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is cold? (a) Neel was cold. (b) Neel sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Neel rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is cold? (a) Aarav was cold. (b) Aarav rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Aarav kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was scared.” (a) telling (b) showing
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) showing (b) telling
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) bored
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is angry? (a) Ishaan was angry. (b) Ishaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Ishaan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is tired? (a) Tears filled Kabir’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Kabir was tired. (c) Kabir rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) scared
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is tired? (a) Aisha licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Aisha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Aisha was tired.
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) happy (b) angry (c) sad
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is sad? (a) Kavya was sad. (b) Kavya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Kavya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.” (a) scared (b) tired (c) bored
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) happy (b) tired (c) scared
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash was happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) telling (b) showing
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was really bored.” (a) showing (b) telling
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) happy (b) angry (c) tired
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima was really angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is tired? (a) Riya was tired. (b) Riya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Riya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is bored? (a) Manav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Manav was bored. (c) Manav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) cold (b) hungry (c) scared
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash felt very cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Saanvi’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) sad
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) sad

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