Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 950 · 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?
   “Farhan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) cold (b) hungry (c) happy
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Yash was really angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is scared? (a) Diya was scared. (b) Diya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Diya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Sneha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) angry (b) tired (c) sad
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Arjun was scared. (b) Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Arjun gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is scared? (a) Neel was scared. (b) Tears filled Neel’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Neel’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Yash was sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Dev kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) angry (b) bored (c) hungry
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is sad? (a) Manav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Manav was sad. (c) Manav could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is hungry? (a) Diya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Diya was hungry. (c) Diya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is cold? (a) Fatima gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Fatima shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Fatima was cold.
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) showing (b) telling
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is bored? (a) Joseph counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Joseph was bored. (c) Joseph folded his arms and glared at his brother.
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is angry? (a) Riya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Riya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Riya was angry.
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is sad? (a) Diya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Diya was sad.
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) telling (b) showing
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) happy
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is tired? (a) Fatima gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Fatima was tired. (c) Fatima could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) tired
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.” (a) hungry (b) scared (c) happy
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is hungry? (a) Ananya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Ananya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Ananya was hungry.
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) telling (b) showing
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is hungry? (a) Maria’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Maria gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Maria was hungry.
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is bored? (a) Priya was bored. (b) Priya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Priya folded her arms and glared at her brother.
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is tired? (a) Tara dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Tara’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Tara was tired.
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) telling (b) showing
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is happy? (a) Fatima froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Fatima was happy. (c) Fatima beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Joseph’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) showing (b) telling
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) hungry (b) sad (c) cold
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.” (a) bored (b) happy (c) scared
31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Pooja’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) telling (b) showing
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is happy? (a) Farhan was happy. (b) Farhan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Farhan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is hungry? (a) Aarav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Aarav was hungry. (c) Aarav kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Fatima’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) sad (b) tired (c) angry
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) tired (b) angry (c) hungry
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is bored? (a) Kabir was bored. (b) Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Kabir sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) showing (b) telling
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) bored (b) scared (c) sad
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) showing (b) telling

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