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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 149 · 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?
    “Tenzin’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) tired
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is hungry? (a) Ishaan was hungry. (b) Ishaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Ishaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is cold? (a) Rohan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Rohan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Rohan was cold.
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) hungry
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) scared
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) tired (b) hungry (c) bored
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) bored
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria felt very sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) scared (b) angry (c) sad
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is sad? (a) Neel rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Neel was sad. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Neel’s cheek.
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is angry? (a) Tara was angry. (b) Tara counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Tara threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) scared
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) scared (b) angry (c) cold
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is scared? (a) Aisha was scared. (b) Aisha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Aisha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Aarav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Aarav was happy.
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara felt very angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) angry (b) tired (c) sad
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is angry? (a) Rohan was angry. (b) Rohan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Rohan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) angry (b) tired (c) bored
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Pooja’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) sad
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is scared? (a) Riya was scared. (b) Riya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Riya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was really angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is hungry? (a) Meera threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Meera was hungry. (c) Meera kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is angry? (a) Kabir was angry. (b) Kabir’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Kabir shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is hungry? (a) Priya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Priya was hungry. (c) Priya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is sad? (a) Kavya was sad. (b) Kavya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Tears filled Kavya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) cold
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was really happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) tired
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is happy? (a) Pooja was happy. (b) Pooja grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Pooja stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is bored? (a) Diya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Diya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Diya was bored.
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) hungry
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) tired
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is tired? (a) Meera’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Meera’s cheek. (c) Meera was tired.
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is cold? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Neel’s cheek. (b) Neel was cold. (c) Neel’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.

Answer key

  1. scared
  2. Ishaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  3. telling
  4. showing
  5. Rohan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  6. hungry
  7. bored
  8. hungry
  9. bored
  10. telling
  11. scared
  12. A tear rolled slowly down Neel’s cheek.
  13. Tara threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  14. sad
  15. cold
  16. showing
  17. Aisha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  18. Aarav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  19. telling
  20. angry
  21. Rohan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  22. angry
  23. telling
  24. sad
  25. Riya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  26. telling
  27. Meera kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  28. Kabir’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  29. Priya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  30. Tears filled Kavya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  31. scared
  32. telling
  33. tired
  34. Pooja grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  35. Diya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  36. sad
  37. happy
  38. Meera’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  39. showing
  40. Neel’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.

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