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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 114 · 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?
    “Sneha drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) bored
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is happy? (a) Tears filled Saanvi’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (b) Saanvi laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Saanvi was happy.
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) cold
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) angry
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) bored
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is bored? (a) Farhan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Farhan was bored. (c) Farhan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is hungry? (a) Saanvi sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Saanvi’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Saanvi was hungry.
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) cold (b) sad (c) angry
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash was happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) angry
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) tired
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima was tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is happy? (a) Zoya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Zoya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Zoya was happy.
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is tired? (a) Arjun was tired. (b) Arjun rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Arjun froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima was cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) sad
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was really angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is bored? (a) Aarav was bored. (b) Aarav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Aarav kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria was really angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) cold
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) scared (b) angry (c) tired
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is cold? (a) Diya was cold. (b) Diya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Diya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is happy? (a) Kavya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Kavya was happy. (c) Kavya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is angry? (a) Yash was angry. (b) Yash threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Yash kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is angry? (a) Saanvi gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Saanvi was angry. (c) Saanvi folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan was really happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) bored
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was really cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Pooja’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) bored
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is cold? (a) Maria rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Maria was cold. (c) Maria grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) tired
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is sad? (a) Vihaan was sad. (b) Vihaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Vihaan’s cheek.
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is sad? (a) Manav was sad. (b) Tears filled Manav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Manav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) angry

Answer key

  1. bored
  2. Saanvi laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  3. bored
  4. happy
  5. tired
  6. Farhan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  7. Saanvi’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  8. cold
  9. telling
  10. telling
  11. hungry
  12. tired
  13. telling
  14. Zoya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  15. Arjun rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  16. telling
  17. showing
  18. cold
  19. telling
  20. Aarav kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  21. telling
  22. showing
  23. bored
  24. angry
  25. Diya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  26. Kavya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  27. showing
  28. Yash threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  29. Saanvi folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  30. telling
  31. showing
  32. showing
  33. bored
  34. telling
  35. sad
  36. Maria rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  37. sad
  38. A tear rolled slowly down Vihaan’s cheek.
  39. Tears filled Manav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  40. angry

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