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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 180 · 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 Joseph is tired? (a) Joseph rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Joseph was tired. (c) Joseph gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) tired (b) scared (c) hungry
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is angry? (a) Tara was angry. (b) Tara could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Tara’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) cold (b) tired (c) happy
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) cold (b) angry (c) tired
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is cold? (a) Tara’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Tara shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Tara was cold.
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is scared? (a) Aarav was scared. (b) Aarav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Aarav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is happy? (a) Dev dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Dev was happy. (c) Dev hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was really hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Saanvi’s cheek.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is happy? (a) Farhan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Farhan was happy. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Farhan’s cheek.
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) tired
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is hungry? (a) Sahil was hungry. (b) Sahil threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Sahil gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is sad? (a) Vihaan was sad. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Vihaan’s cheek. (c) Vihaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is bored? (a) Vihaan was bored. (b) Vihaan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Vihaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) angry (b) tired (c) hungry
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is cold? (a) Kavya was cold. (b) Kavya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Kavya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was really happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is hungry? (a) Ishaan was hungry. (b) Ishaan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Ishaan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is scared? (a) Imran was scared. (b) Tears filled Imran’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Imran’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) angry
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha was bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is tired? (a) Diya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Diya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Diya was tired.
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is angry? (a) Yash beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Yash’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Yash was angry.
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) angry (b) sad (c) bored
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is cold? (a) Fatima was cold. (b) Fatima’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Fatima shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) bored
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) angry
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is tired? (a) Meera was tired. (b) Meera’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Meera’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Simran’s cheek.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) cold (b) tired (c) sad
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is bored? (a) Diya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Diya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Diya was bored.
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) sad (b) cold (c) hungry
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) bored

Answer key

  1. Joseph rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  2. showing
  3. hungry
  4. Tara’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  5. showing
  6. cold
  7. cold
  8. Tara shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  9. Aarav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  10. Dev hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  11. telling
  12. showing
  13. Farhan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  14. bored
  15. Sahil gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  16. showing
  17. showing
  18. A tear rolled slowly down Vihaan’s cheek.
  19. Vihaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  20. angry
  21. Kavya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  22. telling
  23. Ishaan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  24. Imran’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  25. angry
  26. telling
  27. Diya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  28. Yash’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  29. telling
  30. angry
  31. Fatima shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  32. bored
  33. happy
  34. Meera’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  35. showing
  36. tired
  37. Diya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  38. showing
  39. cold
  40. hungry

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