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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 144 · 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?
    “Ishaan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) scared
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is happy? (a) Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Aryan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Aryan was happy.
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is scared? (a) Ishaan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Ishaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Ishaan was scared.
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is bored? (a) Yash was bored. (b) Yash laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Yash counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was really happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav felt very hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) angry (b) cold (c) hungry
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria felt very bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) angry
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) angry
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is scared? (a) Ishaan was scared. (b) Ishaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) hungry
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is hungry? (a) Kavya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Kavya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Kavya was hungry.
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) scared (b) happy (c) cold
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Aarav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Aarav was happy.
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) cold (b) tired (c) happy
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is hungry? (a) Diya was hungry. (b) Diya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Diya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Arjun froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Arjun counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Arjun was scared.
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan felt very cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is happy? (a) Dev’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Dev was happy. (c) Dev hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is bored? (a) Dev’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Dev was bored. (c) Dev drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is tired? (a) Vihaan was tired. (b) Vihaan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Vihaan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) happy
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) scared (b) happy (c) hungry
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) tired (b) angry (c) happy
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) telling (b) showing
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja felt very sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph was angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) scared
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) hungry (b) angry (c) bored
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is bored? (a) Kavya was bored. (b) Kavya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) scared
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is cold? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Zoya’s cheek. (b) Zoya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Zoya was cold.
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is scared? (a) Pooja drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Pooja’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Pooja was scared.
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Yash’s cheek.”     (a) tired (b) scared (c) sad

Answer key

  1. sad
  2. Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  3. Ishaan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  4. Yash counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  5. telling
  6. telling
  7. cold
  8. telling
  9. angry
  10. tired
  11. Ishaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  12. showing
  13. showing
  14. angry
  15. Kavya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  16. happy
  17. Aarav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  18. showing
  19. happy
  20. Diya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  21. Arjun froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  22. telling
  23. telling
  24. Dev hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  25. Dev drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  26. Vihaan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  27. happy
  28. hungry
  29. tired
  30. showing
  31. telling
  32. telling
  33. tired
  34. bored
  35. Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  36. happy
  37. Zoya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  38. Pooja’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  39. telling
  40. sad

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