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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 223 · 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?
    “Riya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya felt very scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is tired? (a) Sneha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Sneha could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Sneha was tired.
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is cold? (a) Yash shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Yash’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Yash was cold.
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) bored
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan felt very bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is cold? (a) Manav beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Manav was cold. (c) Manav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) happy
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is hungry? (a) Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Yash licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Yash was hungry.
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is tired? (a) Imran’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Imran’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Imran was tired.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is angry? (a) Yash was angry. (b) Yash’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Yash’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) tired (b) scared (c) bored
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) tired
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is sad? (a) Saanvi stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Saanvi was sad. (c) Saanvi sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is scared? (a) Diya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Diya was scared. (c) Diya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is cold? (a) Ishaan was cold. (b) Ishaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Ishaan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) hungry
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) sad
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) happy
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is sad? (a) Tara was sad. (b) Tara rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Tara’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is sad? (a) Farhan was sad. (b) Farhan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Farhan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria was really happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is angry? (a) Neel laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Neel’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Neel was angry.
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is sad? (a) Farhan was sad. (b) Farhan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Farhan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is happy? (a) Aryan was happy. (b) Aryan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Aryan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is sad? (a) Dev rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Dev was sad. (c) Dev’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is bored? (a) Ishaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Ishaan was bored. (c) Ishaan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is happy? (a) Maria hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Maria was happy. (c) Maria’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan felt very hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan felt very happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) tired (b) scared (c) bored
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) angry (b) cold (c) happy
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Vihaan’s cheek.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Tenzin’s cheek. (b) Tenzin’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Tenzin was sad.
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) bored (b) cold (c) happy

Answer key

  1. showing
  2. telling
  3. showing
  4. Sneha could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  5. Yash shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  6. bored
  7. telling
  8. Manav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  9. happy
  10. Yash licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  11. Imran’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  12. Yash’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  13. tired
  14. tired
  15. Saanvi sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  16. Diya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  17. Ishaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  18. telling
  19. happy
  20. tired
  21. happy
  22. Tara’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  23. Farhan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  24. showing
  25. telling
  26. Neel’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  27. Farhan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  28. Aryan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  29. Dev’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  30. telling
  31. Ishaan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  32. Maria hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  33. telling
  34. telling
  35. tired
  36. angry
  37. showing
  38. telling
  39. A tear rolled slowly down Tenzin’s cheek.
  40. bored

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