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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 204 · 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.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is tired? (a) Sneha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Sneha could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Sneha was tired.
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha was really cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) tired
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is scared? (a) Joseph was scared. (b) Joseph rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Joseph froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) scared
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is angry? (a) Ananya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Ananya was angry. (c) Ananya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is bored? (a) Riya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Riya was bored. (c) Riya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) sad (b) cold (c) tired
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) cold
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is cold? (a) Kavya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Kavya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Kavya was cold.
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima felt very hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) hungry
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was really hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is sad? (a) Aryan was sad. (b) Aryan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Aryan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is happy? (a) Kavya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Kavya was happy. (c) Kavya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is hungry? (a) Kavya was hungry. (b) Kavya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Kavya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) cold (b) sad (c) hungry
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is cold? (a) Pooja sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Pooja was cold. (c) Pooja’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is tired? (a) Imran folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) Imran could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Imran was tired.
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is bored? (a) Imran was bored. (b) Imran drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Imran’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is tired? (a) Aarav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Aarav’s cheek. (c) Aarav was tired.
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) bored
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran felt very angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) cold
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is cold? (a) Simran dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Simran was cold. (c) Simran rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) sad
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is happy? (a) Ishaan was happy. (b) Ishaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Ishaan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) angry (b) happy (c) sad
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) tired
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is bored? (a) Neel’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Neel was bored. (c) Neel kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is scared? (a) Tara was scared. (b) Tara’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Tara shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) showing (b) telling

Answer key

  1. telling
  2. Sneha could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  3. telling
  4. scared
  5. Joseph froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  6. tired
  7. Ananya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  8. telling
  9. showing
  10. Riya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  11. cold
  12. bored
  13. Kavya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  14. telling
  15. happy
  16. telling
  17. Aryan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  18. Kavya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  19. Kavya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  20. cold
  21. Pooja’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  22. Imran could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  23. showing
  24. Imran drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  25. showing
  26. Aarav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  27. bored
  28. telling
  29. cold
  30. Simran rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  31. bored
  32. Ishaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  33. angry
  34. telling
  35. telling
  36. tired
  37. Neel kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  38. Tara’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  39. telling
  40. showing

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