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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 129 · 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.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is scared? (a) Kabir’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Kabir was scared. (c) Kabir’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was really tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is bored? (a) Zoya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Zoya was bored. (c) Zoya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) angry
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) happy
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is happy? (a) Neel licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Neel was happy. (c) Neel laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) scared (b) happy (c) hungry
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) scared (b) angry (c) cold
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is tired? (a) Fatima was tired. (b) Fatima’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Fatima beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is sad? (a) Imran’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Imran was sad. (c) Imran sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is angry? (a) Joseph beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Joseph’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Joseph was angry.
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is cold? (a) Aarav was cold. (b) Aarav could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Aarav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) scared
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) hungry
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is bored? (a) Farhan beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Farhan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Farhan was bored.
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) scared
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was really happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is bored? (a) Dev sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Dev was bored. (c) Dev’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is cold? (a) Meera’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Meera’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Meera was cold.
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was really hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is cold? (a) Tears filled Sahil’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Sahil was cold. (c) Sahil’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is sad? (a) Sahil’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Sahil was sad. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Sahil’s cheek.
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is happy? (a) Farhan was happy. (b) Farhan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Farhan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is happy? (a) Kabir gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Kabir hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Kabir was happy.
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) cold
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran was happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is happy? (a) Saanvi grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Saanvi’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Saanvi was happy.
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan felt very angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is scared? (a) Neel gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Neel was scared. (c) Neel’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.

Answer key

  1. showing
  2. telling
  3. showing
  4. Kabir’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  5. telling
  6. Zoya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  7. showing
  8. angry
  9. happy
  10. Neel laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  11. happy
  12. angry
  13. showing
  14. Fatima’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  15. showing
  16. Imran’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  17. Joseph’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  18. telling
  19. Aarav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  20. telling
  21. happy
  22. bored
  23. Farhan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  24. showing
  25. tired
  26. telling
  27. Dev sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  28. Meera’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  29. telling
  30. Sahil’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  31. A tear rolled slowly down Sahil’s cheek.
  32. Farhan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  33. telling
  34. Kabir hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  35. showing
  36. cold
  37. telling
  38. Saanvi grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  39. telling
  40. Neel gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.

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