Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 965 · 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 sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is cold? (a) Tenzin was cold. (b) Tenzin’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Tenzin rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is happy? (a) Fatima was happy. (b) Fatima’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Fatima grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Joseph’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) cold (b) sad (c) hungry
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is tired? (a) Tenzin rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Tenzin gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Tenzin was tired.
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) telling (b) showing
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Ananya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) happy (b) bored (c) cold
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is scared? (a) Sahil was scared. (b) Sahil licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Sahil’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is bored? (a) Priya was bored. (b) Priya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Priya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Imran dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) cold (b) tired (c) sad
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is hungry? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Aryan’s cheek. (b) Aryan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Aryan was hungry.
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) telling (b) showing
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) sad (b) cold (c) angry
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) angry (b) hungry (c) sad
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha felt very tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Imran’s cheek.” (a) telling (b) showing
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) telling (b) showing
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is happy? (a) Ishaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Ishaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Ishaan was happy.
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) bored
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) telling (b) showing
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) cold (b) scared (c) tired
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is bored? (a) Aarav kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Aarav was bored. (c) Aarav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) hungry (b) cold (c) tired
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) showing (b) telling
25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya was cold.” (a) telling (b) showing
26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) cold (b) tired (c) happy
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is cold? (a) Manav kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Manav was cold. (c) Manav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is scared? (a) Farhan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Farhan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Farhan was scared.
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) tired (b) angry (c) bored
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) showing (b) telling
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is cold? (a) Kavya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Kavya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Kavya was cold.
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) showing (b) telling
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.” (a) sad (b) cold (c) tired
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) hungry (b) happy (c) scared
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran felt very sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.” (a) angry (b) bored (c) scared
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) telling (b) showing
38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev felt very angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is cold? (a) Nisha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Nisha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Nisha was cold.
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) bored

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