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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 210 · 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 Yash is scared? (a) Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Yash’s cheek. (c) Yash was scared.
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) bored
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is sad? (a) Dev was sad. (b) Dev’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Dev’s cheek.
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) bored
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is scared? (a) Ananya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Ananya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Ananya was scared.
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is cold? (a) Ishaan was cold. (b) Ishaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Ishaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) scared
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is tired? (a) Sneha was tired. (b) Sneha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Sneha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja felt very tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is angry? (a) Fatima was angry. (b) Fatima folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Fatima gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) bored
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is hungry? (a) Tenzin was hungry. (b) Tenzin grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Tenzin gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was really bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Kavya’s cheek. (b) Kavya was sad. (c) Kavya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is scared? (a) Maria froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Maria was scared. (c) Maria counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) happy
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is hungry? (a) Aisha was hungry. (b) Aisha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Aisha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is scared? (a) Kabir’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Kabir was scared. (c) Kabir beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) scared
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) cold (b) bored (c) sad
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is scared? (a) Zoya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Zoya was scared. (c) Zoya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) happy
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) cold
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is angry? (a) Arjun’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Arjun was angry. (c) Arjun stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is tired? (a) Vihaan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Vihaan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Vihaan was tired.
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) hungry (b) happy (c) scared
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is tired? (a) Diya was tired. (b) Diya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Diya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is sad? (a) Manav beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Manav’s cheek. (c) Manav was sad.
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is sad? (a) Ishaan was sad. (b) Ishaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Ishaan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is hungry? (a) Vihaan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Vihaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Vihaan was hungry.
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) scared (b) angry (c) bored

Answer key

  1. Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  2. tired
  3. telling
  4. A tear rolled slowly down Dev’s cheek.
  5. telling
  6. bored
  7. Ananya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  8. Ishaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  9. cold
  10. showing
  11. showing
  12. showing
  13. Sneha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  14. telling
  15. Fatima folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  16. sad
  17. Tenzin gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  18. showing
  19. showing
  20. telling
  21. telling
  22. A tear rolled slowly down Kavya’s cheek.
  23. Maria froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  24. tired
  25. Aisha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  26. Kabir’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  27. bored
  28. telling
  29. sad
  30. Zoya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  31. sad
  32. hungry
  33. Arjun stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  34. Vihaan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  35. hungry
  36. Diya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  37. A tear rolled slowly down Manav’s cheek.
  38. Ishaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  39. Vihaan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  40. angry

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