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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 224 · 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?
    “Imran dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Tenzin’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) cold
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) tired (b) angry (c) bored
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is sad? (a) Aisha was sad. (b) Aisha froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Aisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is happy? (a) Yash beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Yash rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Yash was happy.
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Arjun’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Arjun’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Arjun was scared.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is cold? (a) Kavya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Kavya was cold. (c) Kavya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) sad
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) sad
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is angry? (a) Imran stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Imran was angry. (c) Imran rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan felt very bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is cold? (a) Rohan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Rohan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Rohan was cold.
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is sad? (a) Farhan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Farhan was sad. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Farhan’s cheek.
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya felt very cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is bored? (a) Vihaan was bored. (b) Vihaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Vihaan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) tired
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) tired
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) hungry
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is hungry? (a) Kavya was hungry. (b) Kavya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Kavya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) sad
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) cold (b) bored (c) tired
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) bored
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara felt very hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) angry
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) hungry
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is scared? (a) Nisha froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Nisha was scared. (c) Nisha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is scared? (a) Simran was scared. (b) Simran froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Simran sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) sad
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) hungry (b) happy (c) tired
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is bored? (a) Maria kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Maria’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Maria was bored.
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) showing (b) telling
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran felt very tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is happy? (a) Pooja rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Pooja laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Pooja was happy.
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) scared

Answer key

  1. showing
  2. sad
  3. tired
  4. Aisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  5. Yash beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  6. Arjun’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  7. Kavya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  8. tired
  9. sad
  10. Imran stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  11. telling
  12. Rohan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  13. A tear rolled slowly down Farhan’s cheek.
  14. telling
  15. telling
  16. Vihaan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  17. angry
  18. tired
  19. angry
  20. Kavya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  21. happy
  22. showing
  23. tired
  24. bored
  25. telling
  26. scared
  27. happy
  28. Nisha froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  29. Simran froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  30. hungry
  31. tired
  32. Maria kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  33. showing
  34. showing
  35. telling
  36. telling
  37. showing
  38. telling
  39. Pooja laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  40. tired

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