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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 105 · 40 questions
TalentJR

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.

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  1. 1.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) bored (b) hungry (c) angry
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) bored (b) cold (c) scared
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is cold? (a) Rohan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Rohan was cold. (c) Rohan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) scared (b) bored (c) happy
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is hungry? (a) Riya was hungry. (b) Riya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Riya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) cold
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is cold? (a) Fatima was cold. (b) Fatima shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Fatima threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was really scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is angry? (a) Diya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Diya was angry.
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) angry
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is happy? (a) Vihaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Vihaan was happy. (c) Vihaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) hungry
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is sad? (a) Arjun’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Arjun was sad. (c) Tears filled Arjun’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is bored? (a) Vihaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Vihaan was bored. (c) Vihaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) bored
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is tired? (a) Fatima could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (b) Fatima’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Fatima was tired.
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara was really happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is bored? (a) Ananya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Ananya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Ananya was bored.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is cold? (a) Aarav folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) Aarav was cold. (c) Aarav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) cold
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is sad? (a) Tenzin hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Tenzin was sad. (c) Tears filled Tenzin’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan was really cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) angry (b) hungry (c) sad
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is happy? (a) Ananya was happy. (b) Ananya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara was cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is angry? (a) Ananya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Ananya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Ananya was angry.
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is cold? (a) Yash sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Yash was cold. (c) Yash’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) angry
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) bored
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) angry
  40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera felt very hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling

Answer key

  1. angry
  2. cold
  3. Rohan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  4. happy
  5. telling
  6. Riya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  7. showing
  8. showing
  9. sad
  10. Fatima shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  11. telling
  12. Diya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  13. tired
  14. Vihaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  15. angry
  16. Tears filled Arjun’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  17. Vihaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  18. hungry
  19. Fatima could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  20. showing
  21. telling
  22. Ananya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  23. Aarav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  24. bored
  25. Tears filled Tenzin’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  26. telling
  27. hungry
  28. telling
  29. Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  30. telling
  31. showing
  32. showing
  33. showing
  34. Ananya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  35. Yash’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  36. telling
  37. happy
  38. scared
  39. angry
  40. telling

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