Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 978 · 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?
   “Meera was sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) telling (b) showing
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is scared? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Simran’s cheek. (b) Simran was scared. (c) Simran’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Fatima shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) tired (b) cold (c) hungry
5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sahil was hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Pooja grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) showing (b) telling
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Pooja felt very sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is bored? (a) Zoya was bored. (b) Zoya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Zoya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Meera’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.” (a) bored (b) scared (c) angry
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is happy? (a) Dev was happy. (b) Dev laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Dev gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is cold? (a) Tara’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Tara hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Tara was cold.
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) bored
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is hungry? (a) Manav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Manav was hungry. (c) Manav licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was really sad.” (a) telling (b) showing
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Saanvi’s cheek.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) tired
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is scared? (a) Kavya was scared. (b) Kavya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Kavya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was really tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) showing (b) telling
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is bored? (a) Ishaan was bored. (b) Ishaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is cold? (a) Pooja shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Pooja was cold. (c) Pooja’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is scared? (a) Farhan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) Farhan was scared. (c) Farhan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is happy? (a) Nisha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Nisha was happy. (c) Nisha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) tired (b) cold (c) hungry
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is cold? (a) Fatima kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Fatima was cold. (c) Fatima rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) tired
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was really scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is bored? (a) Meera counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Meera was bored. (c) Meera’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) cold
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Vihaan’s cheek.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) hungry
30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is bored? (a) Sneha froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Sneha was bored. (c) Sneha sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is sad? (a) Aarav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Aarav sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Aarav was sad.
32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) tired
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev folded his arms and glared at his brother.” (a) sad (b) angry (c) hungry
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is hungry? (a) Yash was hungry. (b) Yash gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is hungry? (a) Zoya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Zoya was hungry. (c) Zoya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Tara’s cheek. (b) Tara’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Tara was sad.
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) telling (b) showing
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is tired? (a) Ishaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Ishaan was tired. (c) Ishaan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.” (a) cold (b) sad (c) tired
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Kabir’s cheek. (b) Kabir laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Kabir was sad.

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