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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 119 · 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.

NameDateTime takenScore ___ / 40
  1. 1.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Rohan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan felt very angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya felt very angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is bored? (a) Sneha was bored. (b) Sneha stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Sneha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Aarav was happy. (c) Aarav dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is angry? (a) Maria was angry. (b) Maria threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Maria rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) cold (b) bored (c) sad
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) scared (b) bored (c) cold
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is hungry? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Ananya’s cheek. (b) Ananya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Ananya was hungry.
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) tired (b) bored (c) scared
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) scared
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) happy
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) tired (b) scared (c) sad
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is scared? (a) Manav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Manav’s cheek. (c) Manav was scared.
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is cold? (a) Nisha was cold. (b) Nisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Nisha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was really angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is scared? (a) Tenzin was scared. (b) Tenzin counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Tenzin’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is angry? (a) Aisha was angry. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Aisha’s cheek. (c) Aisha stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) hungry (b) happy (c) bored
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is cold? (a) Aarav was cold. (b) Aarav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Aarav licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is hungry? (a) Rohan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Rohan was hungry. (c) Rohan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) hungry
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is hungry? (a) Maria was hungry. (b) Maria sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Maria kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan was really scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is angry? (a) Joseph sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Joseph was angry. (c) Joseph threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is cold? (a) Aarav rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Aarav was cold. (c) Aarav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) scared (b) bored (c) hungry
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is happy? (a) Tenzin was happy. (b) Tenzin laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Tenzin’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is scared? (a) Aarav was scared. (b) Aarav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Aarav licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is hungry? (a) Sahil’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Sahil’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Sahil was hungry.
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) tired
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is angry? (a) Nisha was angry. (b) Nisha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Nisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.

Answer key

  1. showing
  2. telling
  3. telling
  4. Sneha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  5. Aarav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  6. Maria threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  7. sad
  8. bored
  9. Ananya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  10. showing
  11. scared
  12. scared
  13. cold
  14. sad
  15. Manav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  16. Nisha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  17. telling
  18. Tenzin’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  19. showing
  20. Aisha stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  21. hungry
  22. Aarav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  23. Rohan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  24. showing
  25. hungry
  26. showing
  27. Maria kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  28. telling
  29. Joseph threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  30. telling
  31. Aarav rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  32. hungry
  33. Tenzin laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  34. Aarav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  35. showing
  36. showing
  37. Sahil’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  38. telling
  39. happy
  40. Nisha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.

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