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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 162 · 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 sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is bored? (a) Sneha was bored. (b) Sneha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Sneha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya felt very hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is sad? (a) Joseph sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Joseph’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Joseph was sad.
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) bored (b) hungry (c) scared
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Zoya’s cheek.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) sad
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara was really tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) angry
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) angry (b) scared (c) sad
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) bored
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was really sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is bored? (a) Priya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Priya was bored. (c) Priya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) bored
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is scared? (a) Imran folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) Imran’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Imran was scared.
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is angry? (a) Vihaan was angry. (b) Vihaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Vihaan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is sad? (a) Kabir stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Kabir was sad. (c) Kabir’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is cold? (a) Maria was cold. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Maria’s cheek. (c) Maria shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) bored
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is hungry? (a) Farhan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Farhan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Farhan was hungry.
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is tired? (a) Tenzin was tired. (b) Tenzin’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Tenzin froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) cold (b) bored (c) angry
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is angry? (a) Aarav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Aarav was angry.
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel felt very tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) happy
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is angry? (a) Tara’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Tara sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Tara was angry.
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is happy? (a) Sneha was happy. (b) Sneha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Sneha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is scared? (a) Manav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Manav was scared. (c) Manav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is hungry? (a) Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Aryan was hungry. (c) Aryan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is scared? (a) Neel’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Neel was scared. (c) Neel froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) bored (b) scared (c) tired
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran felt very bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is tired? (a) Priya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Priya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Priya was tired.
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Saanvi’s cheek.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is bored? (a) Vihaan was bored. (b) Vihaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Vihaan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.

Answer key

  1. Sneha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  2. telling
  3. Joseph sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  4. bored
  5. sad
  6. telling
  7. happy
  8. showing
  9. sad
  10. scared
  11. telling
  12. Priya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  13. showing
  14. showing
  15. scared
  16. showing
  17. telling
  18. Imran’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  19. Vihaan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  20. Kabir’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  21. Maria shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  22. happy
  23. Farhan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  24. Tenzin’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  25. angry
  26. Aarav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  27. telling
  28. cold
  29. Tara’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  30. Sneha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  31. telling
  32. Manav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  33. Aryan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  34. Neel froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  35. tired
  36. telling
  37. Priya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  38. showing
  39. telling
  40. Vihaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.

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