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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 156 · 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?
    “Vihaan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) tired (b) angry (c) scared
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is angry? (a) Imran dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Imran was angry. (c) Imran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran was bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was really angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) bored
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) scared
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir felt very hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is cold? (a) Simran licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Simran’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Simran was cold.
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is sad? (a) Fatima froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Fatima’s cheek. (c) Fatima was sad.
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is hungry? (a) Diya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Diya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Diya was hungry.
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran was really happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is angry? (a) Aisha was angry. (b) Aisha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Aisha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is angry? (a) Priya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Priya was angry. (c) Priya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) bored (b) cold (c) angry
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) scared
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Simran’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) hungry (b) happy (c) sad
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) angry
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) happy
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) tired (b) hungry (c) cold
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is scared? (a) Aarav was scared. (b) Aarav gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Aarav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is bored? (a) Neel’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Neel kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Neel was bored.
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran was tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is bored? (a) Kabir was bored. (b) Kabir counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Kabir hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) cold (b) bored (c) hungry
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Aisha’s cheek. (b) Aisha was sad. (c) Aisha folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is happy? (a) Simran laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Simran drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Simran was happy.
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is angry? (a) Aryan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Aryan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Aryan was angry.
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is hungry? (a) Riya was hungry. (b) Riya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Riya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) cold
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) cold
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) hungry
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is bored? (a) Tenzin sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Tenzin was bored. (c) Tenzin drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) cold (b) angry (c) happy
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is hungry? (a) Vihaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Vihaan was hungry. (c) Vihaan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is hungry? (a) Riya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Riya was hungry. (c) Riya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is bored? (a) Rohan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Rohan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Rohan was bored.

Answer key

  1. angry
  2. Imran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  3. telling
  4. telling
  5. scared
  6. tired
  7. telling
  8. Simran’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  9. A tear rolled slowly down Fatima’s cheek.
  10. Diya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  11. telling
  12. Aisha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  13. showing
  14. Priya folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  15. cold
  16. hungry
  17. sad
  18. happy
  19. tired
  20. hungry
  21. Aarav gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  22. Neel kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  23. telling
  24. Kabir counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  25. hungry
  26. A tear rolled slowly down Aisha’s cheek.
  27. Simran laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  28. Aryan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  29. Riya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  30. tired
  31. showing
  32. tired
  33. hungry
  34. telling
  35. Tenzin drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  36. showing
  37. happy
  38. Vihaan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  39. Riya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  40. Rohan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.

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