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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 118 · 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?
    “Kavya stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) angry
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is sad? (a) Aryan was sad. (b) Aryan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Aryan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) scared
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is happy? (a) Fatima was happy. (b) Fatima grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Fatima’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan felt very sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) cold
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is hungry? (a) Vihaan was hungry. (b) Tears filled Vihaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Vihaan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is scared? (a) Zoya was scared. (b) Zoya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Zoya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is angry? (a) Aryan was angry. (b) Aryan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Aryan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) bored
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) sad
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is angry? (a) Dev threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Dev was angry. (c) Dev sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is cold? (a) Yash beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Yash’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Yash was cold.
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is sad? (a) Tara was sad. (b) Tara folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Tara sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is sad? (a) Farhan was sad. (b) Tears filled Farhan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Farhan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is sad? (a) Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Meera was sad. (c) Meera’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) cold (b) bored (c) angry
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) hungry
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria felt very happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev felt very tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is bored? (a) Aarav was bored. (b) Aarav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Aarav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) angry
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera felt very scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is bored? (a) Aryan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Aryan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Aryan was bored.
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) scared (b) happy (c) angry
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was really scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is cold? (a) Kabir was cold. (b) Kabir’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Kabir rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is hungry? (a) Neel’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Neel was hungry. (c) Neel gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is angry? (a) Diya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Diya was angry. (c) Diya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) bored
  40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) telling (b) showing

Answer key

  1. angry
  2. showing
  3. Aryan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  4. showing
  5. cold
  6. Fatima grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  7. showing
  8. telling
  9. happy
  10. showing
  11. Vihaan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  12. Zoya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  13. Aryan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  14. showing
  15. bored
  16. sad
  17. Dev threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  18. Yash’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  19. showing
  20. Tara sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  21. Tears filled Farhan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  22. Meera’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  23. angry
  24. sad
  25. telling
  26. telling
  27. Aarav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  28. angry
  29. showing
  30. telling
  31. Aryan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  32. showing
  33. scared
  34. telling
  35. Kabir rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  36. telling
  37. Neel gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  38. Diya folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  39. cold
  40. showing

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