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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 229 · 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?
    “Tara could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) tired (b) angry (c) cold
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) tired
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is tired? (a) Sahil’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Tears filled Sahil’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Sahil was tired.
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Arjun was scared. (b) Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Arjun rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is scared? (a) Imran was scared. (b) Imran counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Imran’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) cold
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Vihaan’s cheek. (b) Vihaan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Vihaan was sad.
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun felt very bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is tired? (a) Nisha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Nisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Nisha was tired.
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) hungry (b) happy (c) scared
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) tired
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) sad
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is bored? (a) Tenzin was bored. (b) Tenzin counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Tenzin threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was really cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is scared? (a) Manav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Manav was scared. (c) Manav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) hungry (b) angry (c) tired
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is bored? (a) Neel was bored. (b) Neel stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Neel kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is happy? (a) Kabir laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Kabir was happy. (c) Kabir froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is sad? (a) Ananya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Ananya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Ananya was sad.
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is angry? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Imran’s cheek. (b) Imran was angry. (c) Imran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) scared
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is sad? (a) Sneha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Sneha was sad. (c) Sneha stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) hungry (b) happy (c) bored
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is hungry? (a) Dev gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Dev was hungry. (c) Dev’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is angry? (a) Ishaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Ishaan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Ishaan was angry.
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) hungry
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) tired (b) scared (c) sad
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is sad? (a) Priya was sad. (b) Priya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Priya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is happy? (a) Priya was happy. (b) Priya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Priya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) hungry
  40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) showing (b) telling

Answer key

  1. showing
  2. angry
  3. tired
  4. Sahil’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  5. Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  6. showing
  7. showing
  8. Imran’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  9. cold
  10. A tear rolled slowly down Vihaan’s cheek.
  11. telling
  12. telling
  13. Nisha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  14. hungry
  15. scared
  16. bored
  17. Tenzin counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  18. telling
  19. Manav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  20. showing
  21. angry
  22. Neel kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  23. Kabir laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  24. Ananya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  25. Imran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  26. bored
  27. Sneha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  28. bored
  29. telling
  30. telling
  31. Dev gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  32. showing
  33. Ishaan folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  34. hungry
  35. telling
  36. tired
  37. Priya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  38. Priya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  39. hungry
  40. showing

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