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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 219 · 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?
    “Nisha felt very hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir felt very hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) tired (b) scared (c) hungry
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is bored? (a) Kabir kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Kabir was bored. (c) Kabir drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is sad? (a) Simran’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Simran was sad. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Simran’s cheek.
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) hungry
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is happy? (a) Sneha was happy. (b) Sneha drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Sneha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is happy? (a) Meera’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Meera was happy.
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is cold? (a) Sahil sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Sahil shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Sahil was cold.
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is sad? (a) Tears filled Maria’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (b) Maria was sad. (c) Maria’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran was really tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) tired (b) scared (c) angry
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is sad? (a) Sahil was sad. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Sahil’s cheek. (c) Sahil laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) tired
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is sad? (a) Tears filled Rohan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Rohan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Rohan was sad.
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) bored
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is hungry? (a) Ananya beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Ananya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Ananya was hungry.
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) happy
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is tired? (a) Sneha was tired. (b) Sneha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Sneha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Farhan’s cheek.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) angry
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is angry? (a) Aarav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Aarav stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Aarav was angry.
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is angry? (a) Nisha froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Nisha was angry. (c) Nisha folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) scared
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is bored? (a) Aarav was bored. (b) Aarav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Aarav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) hungry
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) scared
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is tired? (a) Aryan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Aryan was tired. (c) Aryan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is happy? (a) Priya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Priya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Priya was happy.
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) bored
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was really tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was really tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya felt very tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is tired? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Zoya’s cheek. (b) Zoya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Zoya was tired.
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is cold? (a) Farhan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Farhan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Farhan was cold.

Answer key

  1. telling
  2. telling
  3. showing
  4. hungry
  5. Kabir drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  6. A tear rolled slowly down Simran’s cheek.
  7. tired
  8. Sneha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  9. Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  10. Sahil shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  11. Tears filled Maria’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  12. telling
  13. scared
  14. A tear rolled slowly down Sahil’s cheek.
  15. hungry
  16. Tears filled Rohan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  17. hungry
  18. Ananya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  19. showing
  20. happy
  21. showing
  22. Sneha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  23. sad
  24. Aarav stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  25. Nisha folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  26. scared
  27. showing
  28. Aarav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  29. hungry
  30. showing
  31. scared
  32. Aryan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  33. Priya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  34. sad
  35. telling
  36. telling
  37. telling
  38. telling
  39. Zoya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  40. Farhan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.

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