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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 184 · 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 Kabir is happy? (a) Kabir beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Kabir’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Kabir was happy.
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) scared
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is happy? (a) Dev was happy. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Dev’s cheek. (c) Dev laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) tired (b) angry (c) happy
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is scared? (a) Aryan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Aryan was scared. (c) Aryan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan was really angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) tired (b) angry (c) sad
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) cold (b) scared (c) hungry
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is sad? (a) Neel was sad. (b) Neel sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Neel’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is bored? (a) Sahil sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Sahil was bored. (c) Sahil’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir felt very cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) angry (b) hungry (c) cold
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) cold
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is angry? (a) Simran stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Simran was angry. (c) Simran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) happy
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is sad? (a) Vihaan stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Tears filled Vihaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Vihaan was sad.
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is angry? (a) Aryan was angry. (b) Tears filled Aryan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Aryan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) scared
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Fatima’s cheek. (b) Fatima dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Fatima was sad.
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is bored? (a) Aisha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Aisha was bored. (c) Aisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is bored? (a) Neel hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Neel kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Neel was bored.
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is happy? (a) Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Kabir’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Kabir was happy.
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph was really bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Kavya’s cheek. (b) Kavya was sad. (c) Kavya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) scared
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) scared
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is sad? (a) Simran’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Simran was sad. (c) Tears filled Simran’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) bored (b) cold (c) angry
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is scared? (a) Joseph could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Joseph was scared.
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) tired
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is scared? (a) Sahil froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Sahil’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Sahil was scared.
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) angry

Answer key

  1. Kabir beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  2. scared
  3. Dev laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  4. telling
  5. angry
  6. Aryan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  7. showing
  8. telling
  9. sad
  10. scared
  11. Neel’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  12. Sahil sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  13. telling
  14. telling
  15. hungry
  16. tired
  17. showing
  18. Simran stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  19. showing
  20. sad
  21. Tears filled Vihaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  22. Aryan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  23. scared
  24. A tear rolled slowly down Fatima’s cheek.
  25. Aisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  26. Neel kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  27. Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  28. telling
  29. A tear rolled slowly down Kavya’s cheek.
  30. happy
  31. hungry
  32. showing
  33. telling
  34. Tears filled Simran’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  35. cold
  36. Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  37. telling
  38. angry
  39. Sahil froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  40. sad

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