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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 202 · 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 Pooja is scared? (a) Pooja’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Pooja gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Pooja was scared.
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) angry
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) hungry
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan felt very angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Diya’s cheek. (b) Diya was sad. (c) Diya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is bored? (a) Sneha was bored. (b) Sneha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Sneha drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) tired
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is hungry? (a) Riya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Riya was hungry. (c) Riya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is scared? (a) Rohan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Rohan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Rohan was scared.
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) happy
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is happy? (a) Sneha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Sneha was happy. (c) Sneha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is hungry? (a) Manav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Manav kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Manav was hungry.
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) tired
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is cold? (a) Sahil’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Sahil was cold. (c) Sahil sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) hungry
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera felt very angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is bored? (a) Sneha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Sneha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Sneha was bored.
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya felt very bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) bored (b) scared (c) sad
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is happy? (a) Priya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Priya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Priya was happy.
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is angry? (a) Kabir threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Kabir hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Kabir was angry.
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) angry (b) hungry (c) bored
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) tired (b) hungry (c) scared
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) scared (b) happy (c) cold
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is cold? (a) Arjun was cold. (b) Arjun rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Arjun’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Yash’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is scared? (a) Kavya was scared. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Kavya’s cheek. (c) Kavya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) tired (b) hungry (c) scared
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) tired
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is bored? (a) Meera was bored. (b) Meera drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Meera’s cheek.
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) happy
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is angry? (a) Saanvi was angry. (b) Saanvi threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Saanvi counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.

Answer key

  1. Pooja’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  2. telling
  3. angry
  4. happy
  5. telling
  6. showing
  7. A tear rolled slowly down Diya’s cheek.
  8. Sneha drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  9. tired
  10. Riya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  11. telling
  12. Rohan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  13. happy
  14. Sneha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  15. Manav kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  16. tired
  17. Sahil’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  18. showing
  19. hungry
  20. telling
  21. Sneha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  22. telling
  23. bored
  24. Priya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  25. showing
  26. Kabir threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  27. telling
  28. bored
  29. scared
  30. cold
  31. telling
  32. Arjun rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  33. showing
  34. telling
  35. Kavya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  36. scared
  37. happy
  38. Meera drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  39. happy
  40. Saanvi threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”

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