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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 222 · 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.

NameDateTime takenScore ___ / 40
  1. 1.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) tired
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) hungry
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is scared? (a) Ishaan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Ishaan was scared. (c) Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is hungry? (a) Sahil froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Sahil gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Sahil was hungry.
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is hungry? (a) Aisha was hungry. (b) Aisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Aisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan was tired. (b) Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Rohan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is angry? (a) Dev was angry. (b) Dev stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Dev kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is hungry? (a) Fatima’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Fatima licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Fatima was hungry.
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) bored
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is sad? (a) Arjun rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Arjun sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Arjun was sad.
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) scared
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is scared? (a) Sneha was scared. (b) Sneha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Sneha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is cold? (a) Imran rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Imran drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Imran was cold.
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) hungry (b) happy (c) sad
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) tired
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav felt very sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) bored
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is tired? (a) Ananya was tired. (b) Ananya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Ananya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was really angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) angry
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is bored? (a) Meera was bored. (b) Meera kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Meera rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is happy? (a) Rohan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Rohan beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Rohan was happy.
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) happy
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) angry
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is sad? (a) Vihaan was sad. (b) Vihaan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Vihaan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) tired (b) hungry (c) angry
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is tired? (a) Nisha was tired. (b) Tears filled Nisha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Nisha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash was hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha felt very hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is angry? (a) Joseph was angry. (b) Joseph stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Joseph shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was really happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan felt very sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) scared

Answer key

  1. telling
  2. happy
  3. showing
  4. hungry
  5. telling
  6. showing
  7. Ishaan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  8. telling
  9. telling
  10. Sahil gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  11. Aisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  12. Rohan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  13. Dev stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  14. Fatima licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  15. tired
  16. Arjun sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  17. bored
  18. Sneha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  19. Imran rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  20. hungry
  21. hungry
  22. telling
  23. happy
  24. Ananya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  25. telling
  26. bored
  27. Meera kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  28. Rohan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  29. cold
  30. sad
  31. Vihaan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  32. angry
  33. Nisha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  34. telling
  35. telling
  36. Joseph stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  37. telling
  38. telling
  39. showing
  40. scared

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