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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 140 · 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.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) tired
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Kabir’s cheek.”     (a) bored (b) cold (c) sad
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) tired (b) hungry (c) angry
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is cold? (a) Yash’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Yash shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Yash was cold.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is scared? (a) Riya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Riya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Riya was scared.
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) tired
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) angry (b) scared (c) sad
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) cold (b) scared (c) sad
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is hungry? (a) Ananya was hungry. (b) Ananya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Ananya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is hungry? (a) Ananya was hungry. (b) Ananya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Ananya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria was happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is cold? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Aarav’s cheek. (b) Aarav was cold. (c) Aarav rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) cold (b) sad (c) happy
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is tired? (a) Kabir’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Kabir rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Kabir was tired.
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) cold (b) angry (c) happy
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is scared? (a) Saanvi was scared. (b) Saanvi rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Saanvi froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) bored
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is hungry? (a) Imran’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Imran gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Imran was hungry.
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) cold
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is angry? (a) Manav was angry. (b) Manav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Manav stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is sad? (a) Ishaan was sad. (b) Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Ishaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) sad
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is cold? (a) Sneha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Sneha was cold. (c) Sneha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan felt very sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is hungry? (a) Neel rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Neel’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Neel was hungry.
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is happy? (a) Saanvi’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Saanvi beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Saanvi was happy.
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Ananya’s cheek. (b) Ananya was sad. (c) Ananya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) tired (b) scared (c) bored
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is scared? (a) Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Joseph hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Joseph was scared.
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is happy? (a) Saanvi was happy. (b) Saanvi hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Saanvi drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) cold

Answer key

  1. hungry
  2. showing
  3. showing
  4. sad
  5. hungry
  6. Yash shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  7. Riya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  8. bored
  9. angry
  10. cold
  11. Ananya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  12. Ananya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  13. telling
  14. Aarav rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  15. sad
  16. Kabir rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  17. showing
  18. showing
  19. telling
  20. happy
  21. Saanvi froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  22. telling
  23. bored
  24. Imran gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  25. happy
  26. Manav stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  27. showing
  28. Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  29. sad
  30. Sneha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  31. telling
  32. Neel’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  33. telling
  34. telling
  35. Saanvi beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  36. A tear rolled slowly down Ananya’s cheek.
  37. scared
  38. Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  39. Saanvi hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  40. cold

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