Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 988 · 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 Priya is sad? (a) Priya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Priya was sad. (c) Priya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is cold? (a) Tears filled Neel’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Neel was cold. (c) Neel’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Rohan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) sad (b) bored (c) angry
4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Manav felt very bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is cold? (a) Tara’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Tara was cold. (c) Tara’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Simran dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) happy (b) bored (c) tired
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Sahil’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) hungry
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is angry? (a) Dev froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Dev threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Dev was angry.
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Farhan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) happy (b) angry (c) tired
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is happy? (a) Sneha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Sneha was happy. (c) Sneha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha was really cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) scared
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) sad (b) angry (c) cold
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is sad? (a) Yash was sad. (b) Tears filled Yash’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) angry
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.” (a) showing (b) telling
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) showing (b) telling
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is happy? (a) Kavya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Kavya was happy. (c) Kavya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is happy? (a) Rohan was happy. (b) Rohan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Rohan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) tired (b) cold (c) scared
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) showing (b) telling
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) telling (b) showing
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is happy? (a) Joseph gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Joseph laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Joseph was happy.
24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) showing (b) telling
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Simran’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) sad (b) happy (c) scared
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) telling (b) showing
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is scared? (a) Fatima was scared. (b) Fatima’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Fatima’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) sad (b) angry (c) scared
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Ishaan’s cheek.” (a) angry (b) bored (c) sad
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha felt very scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is scared? (a) Tears filled Simran’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (b) Simran’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Simran was scared.
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is sad? (a) Tenzin’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Tenzin dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Tenzin was sad.
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima felt very hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is cold? (a) Ananya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Ananya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Ananya was cold.
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is happy? (a) Ananya was happy. (b) Ananya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Ananya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is bored? (a) Rohan was bored. (b) Rohan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Rohan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is cold? (a) Saanvi gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Saanvi was cold. (c) Saanvi’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is happy? (a) Tenzin was happy. (b) Tenzin laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Tenzin drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is sad? (a) Yash was sad. (b) Yash’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Yash shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is sad? (a) Kabir was sad. (b) Kabir gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Kabir sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.

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