Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 966 · 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 Kabir is cold? (a) Kabir was cold. (b) Kabir shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Joseph grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) telling (b) showing
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is angry? (a) Sahil threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Sahil was angry. (c) Sahil’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is tired? (a) Fatima was tired. (b) Fatima dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Fatima’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Nisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) sad (b) tired (c) scared
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “A tear rolled slowly down Yash’s cheek.” (a) telling (b) showing
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “A tear rolled slowly down Joseph’s cheek.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) sad
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Aryan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) cold
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Imran drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) tired (b) sad (c) bored
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is scared? (a) Sneha folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Sneha was scared. (c) Sneha froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is angry? (a) Riya was angry. (b) Riya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Riya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is angry? (a) Arjun stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Arjun grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Arjun was angry.
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is happy? (a) Diya beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Diya was happy. (c) Tears filled Diya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is happy? (a) Saanvi grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Saanvi drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Saanvi was happy.
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya felt very hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) telling (b) showing
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is sad? (a) Imran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Imran’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Imran was sad.
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is cold? (a) Dev rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Dev was cold. (c) Dev sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) angry
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is bored? (a) Tenzin was bored. (b) Tenzin licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Tenzin counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was really hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev felt very hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was really tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) happy (b) scared (c) hungry
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is hungry? (a) Pooja threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Pooja was hungry. (c) Pooja’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is cold? (a) Neel hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Neel shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Neel was cold.
27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) cold (b) tired (c) happy
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is cold? (a) Joseph was cold. (b) Joseph’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Joseph sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) bored (b) angry (c) hungry
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is cold? (a) Arjun’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Arjun’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Arjun was cold.
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is bored? (a) Aarav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Aarav dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Aarav was bored.
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is angry? (a) Aarav was angry. (b) Aarav stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Aarav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is bored? (a) Priya was bored. (b) Priya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Priya’s cheek.
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is tired? (a) Imran rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Imran was tired. (c) Imran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) bored
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is happy? (a) Vihaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Vihaan was happy. (c) Vihaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is tired? (a) Kavya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Kavya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Kavya was tired.
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Neel’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) happy (b) tired (c) sad
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is sad? (a) Nisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Nisha was sad. (c) Nisha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) showing (b) telling

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