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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 158 · 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?
    “Sneha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) cold (b) bored (c) hungry
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) tired (b) scared (c) sad
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) tired (b) bored (c) scared
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is cold? (a) Aisha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Aisha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Aisha was cold.
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is angry? (a) Vihaan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Vihaan’s cheek. (c) Vihaan was angry.
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera felt very cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is tired? (a) Diya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Diya was tired. (c) Diya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) sad
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is sad? (a) Fatima was sad. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Fatima’s cheek. (c) Fatima laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is sad? (a) Farhan was sad. (b) Tears filled Farhan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Farhan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) tired (b) angry (c) scared
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Aisha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is tired? (a) Maria was tired. (b) Maria’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Maria dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav felt very sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is scared? (a) Aarav was scared. (b) Aarav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Tears filled Aarav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Rohan was tired. (c) Rohan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Rohan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Rohan was tired.
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is tired? (a) Farhan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) Farhan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Farhan was tired.
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is scared? (a) Aisha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Aisha was scared. (c) Aisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) cold
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is bored? (a) Rohan was bored. (b) Rohan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Rohan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) hungry (b) angry (c) sad
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel felt very sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Arjun was scared. (b) Tears filled Arjun’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) angry (b) cold (c) bored
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) angry (b) cold (c) happy
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima was tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is happy? (a) Sneha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Sneha was happy. (c) Sneha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) tired (b) hungry (c) happy
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is sad? (a) Joseph could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Joseph sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Joseph was sad.
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is cold? (a) Diya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Diya was cold. (c) Diya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”

Answer key

  1. showing
  2. telling
  3. bored
  4. tired
  5. tired
  6. showing
  7. telling
  8. Aisha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  9. Vihaan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  10. showing
  11. telling
  12. Diya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  13. showing
  14. cold
  15. A tear rolled slowly down Fatima’s cheek.
  16. telling
  17. Tears filled Farhan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  18. scared
  19. showing
  20. Maria dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  21. telling
  22. Aarav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  23. telling
  24. Rohan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  25. Rohan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  26. Farhan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  27. Aisha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  28. cold
  29. Rohan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  30. hungry
  31. telling
  32. Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  33. cold
  34. angry
  35. telling
  36. showing
  37. Sneha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  38. hungry
  39. Joseph sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  40. Diya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.

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