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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 20 · 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 Manav is angry? (a) Manav folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) Manav was angry. (c) Manav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) sad (b) cold (c) tired
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) tired
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is hungry? (a) Ishaan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Ishaan was hungry. (c) Ishaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is happy? (a) Ananya was happy. (b) Ananya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Ananya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) hungry
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is hungry? (a) Riya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Riya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Riya was hungry.
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is scared? (a) Kabir gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Kabir kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Kabir was scared.
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is bored? (a) Diya was bored. (b) Diya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Diya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is hungry? (a) Joseph was hungry. (b) Joseph kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Joseph stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) tired
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was really scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) hungry (b) sad (c) happy
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) sad
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is tired? (a) Meera was tired. (b) Meera’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Meera’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi felt very tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) hungry
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) bored (b) hungry (c) tired
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is happy? (a) Simran laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Tears filled Simran’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Simran was happy.
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is scared? (a) Saanvi was scared. (b) Saanvi stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Saanvi’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is sad? (a) Ananya was sad. (b) Ananya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Ananya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) bored (b) hungry (c) tired
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) cold (b) angry (c) bored
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) angry (b) cold (c) happy
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran was really hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is bored? (a) Sahil kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Sahil’s cheek. (c) Sahil was bored.
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) tired
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is cold? (a) Arjun was cold. (b) Arjun licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Arjun’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) sad
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is scared? (a) Zoya was scared. (b) Zoya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Zoya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) scared (b) happy (c) bored
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) sad
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) happy
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is sad? (a) Simran shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Simran was sad. (c) Simran sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.

Answer key

  1. Manav folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  2. cold
  3. scared
  4. Ishaan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  5. telling
  6. showing
  7. Ananya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  8. happy
  9. Riya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  10. Kabir gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  11. showing
  12. Diya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  13. Joseph kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  14. showing
  15. tired
  16. telling
  17. sad
  18. showing
  19. cold
  20. Meera’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  21. telling
  22. showing
  23. hungry
  24. bored
  25. Simran laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  26. Saanvi’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  27. Ananya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  28. tired
  29. cold
  30. happy
  31. telling
  32. Sahil kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  33. hungry
  34. Arjun’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  35. angry
  36. Zoya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  37. happy
  38. hungry
  39. hungry
  40. Simran sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.

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