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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 203 · 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 Vihaan is scared? (a) Vihaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Vihaan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Vihaan was scared.
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) angry
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is happy? (a) Saanvi was happy. (b) Saanvi sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Saanvi grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) happy
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) cold (b) sad (c) happy
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is happy? (a) Aryan was happy. (b) Aryan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan was really happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was really bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Sneha’s cheek. (b) Sneha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Sneha was sad.
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) tired
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is sad? (a) Aryan was sad. (b) Aryan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Aryan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was really happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) angry (b) cold (c) bored
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) cold (b) scared (c) tired
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is hungry? (a) Ishaan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Ishaan was hungry. (c) Ishaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) tired
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya was tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is hungry? (a) Maria was hungry. (b) Maria’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Maria kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) tired
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is scared? (a) Tears filled Joseph’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Joseph was scared.
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is angry? (a) Aarav could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Aarav was angry. (c) Aarav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) hungry (b) sad (c) tired
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) sad
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) cold
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is happy? (a) Diya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Tears filled Diya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Diya was happy.
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is scared? (a) Neel threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Neel was scared. (c) Neel’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is sad? (a) Yash sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Yash was sad. (c) Tears filled Yash’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is sad? (a) Saanvi’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Saanvi could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Saanvi was sad.
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) scared
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) angry (b) scared (c) hungry

Answer key

  1. Vihaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  2. angry
  3. Saanvi grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  4. cold
  5. cold
  6. Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  7. telling
  8. telling
  9. A tear rolled slowly down Sneha’s cheek.
  10. tired
  11. Aryan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  12. showing
  13. telling
  14. cold
  15. showing
  16. scared
  17. showing
  18. Ishaan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  19. happy
  20. showing
  21. telling
  22. showing
  23. telling
  24. Maria kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  25. showing
  26. showing
  27. happy
  28. Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  29. Aarav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  30. hungry
  31. sad
  32. scared
  33. Diya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  34. showing
  35. showing
  36. Neel’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  37. Tears filled Yash’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  38. Saanvi’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  39. happy
  40. angry

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