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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 164 · 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 Aarav is angry? (a) Aarav folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) Aarav was angry. (c) Aarav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) scared (b) bored (c) tired
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is happy? (a) Nisha was happy. (b) Nisha froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Nisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Vihaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) cold
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is sad? (a) Aisha was sad. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Aisha’s cheek. (c) Aisha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is tired? (a) Ananya was tired. (b) Tears filled Ananya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Ananya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is angry? (a) Ananya was angry. (b) Ananya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Ananya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir felt very cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) scared
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha felt very hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is scared? (a) Maria was scared. (b) Maria froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Maria’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is scared? (a) Manav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Manav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Manav was scared.
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan felt very bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is happy? (a) Kabir laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Kabir sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Kabir was happy.
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is tired? (a) Ishaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Ishaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Ishaan was tired.
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) scared (b) bored (c) cold
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is cold? (a) Farhan was cold. (b) Farhan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Farhan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin felt very angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is cold? (a) Sahil’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Sahil dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Sahil was cold.
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) happy
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) scared
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is tired? (a) Nisha was tired. (b) Nisha could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Nisha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) sad
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) bored (b) cold (c) tired
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha was angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is happy? (a) Ananya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Ananya beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Ananya was happy.
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was really cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya felt very hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is bored? (a) Kavya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Kavya was bored. (c) Kavya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is happy? (a) Tenzin was happy. (b) Tenzin grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Tenzin rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) bored
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is sad? (a) Zoya was sad. (b) Tears filled Zoya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Zoya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.

Answer key

  1. Aarav folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  2. bored
  3. Nisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  4. sad
  5. A tear rolled slowly down Aisha’s cheek.
  6. telling
  7. Ananya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  8. Ananya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  9. telling
  10. angry
  11. telling
  12. Maria froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  13. Manav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  14. telling
  15. Kabir laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  16. showing
  17. Ishaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  18. cold
  19. telling
  20. Farhan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  21. telling
  22. Sahil’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  23. bored
  24. bored
  25. Nisha could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  26. telling
  27. angry
  28. showing
  29. cold
  30. telling
  31. Ananya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  32. telling
  33. telling
  34. telling
  35. telling
  36. Kavya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  37. Tenzin grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  38. showing
  39. bored
  40. Tears filled Zoya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.

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