Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 931 · 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?
   “Sneha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) hungry
2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aarav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.” (a) sad (b) angry (c) tired
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is scared? (a) Ananya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Ananya was scared. (c) Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is bored? (a) Simran kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Simran was bored. (c) Simran gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) showing (b) telling
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is bored? (a) Diya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Diya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Diya was bored.
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sahil felt very angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Ananya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.” (a) showing (b) telling
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Neel’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) angry
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is scared? (a) Tenzin’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Tenzin was scared. (c) Tenzin beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) telling (b) showing
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) scared (b) tired (c) hungry
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) showing (b) telling
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) sad (b) tired (c) happy
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) tired
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) hungry
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) tired
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is scared? (a) Sneha was scared. (b) Sneha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Tears filled Sneha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was really happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran was tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is hungry? (a) Diya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Diya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Diya was hungry.
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) cold (b) tired (c) hungry
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is happy? (a) Ishaan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Ishaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Ishaan was happy.
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) showing (b) telling
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is cold? (a) Kabir rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Kabir stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Kabir was cold.
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha was really cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) telling (b) showing
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is angry? (a) Rohan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Rohan was angry. (c) Rohan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) angry (b) bored (c) hungry
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is sad? (a) Tenzin was sad. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Tenzin’s cheek. (c) Tenzin gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) showing (b) telling
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is hungry? (a) Tears filled Meera’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (b) Meera licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Meera was hungry.
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is tired? (a) Manav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Manav was tired. (c) Manav could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is hungry? (a) Vihaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Vihaan was hungry. (c) Vihaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) showing (b) telling
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi felt very happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was really bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav felt very angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is tired? (a) Sahil’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Sahil was tired. (c) Sahil threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”

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