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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 263 · 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.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) sad
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) tired
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) happy
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is happy? (a) Manav beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Manav was happy. (c) Manav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is bored? (a) Sahil was bored. (b) Sahil’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Sahil sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is cold? (a) Saanvi’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Saanvi dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Saanvi was cold.
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is tired? (a) Fatima was tired. (b) Fatima’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Fatima could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is cold? (a) Ishaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Ishaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Ishaan was cold.
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) scared (b) happy (c) sad
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Ananya’s cheek. (b) Ananya was sad. (c) Ananya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is bored? (a) Arjun counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Arjun was bored. (c) Arjun’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan felt very scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is cold? (a) Nisha was cold. (b) Nisha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Nisha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is happy? (a) Maria was happy. (b) Maria gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Maria hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is scared? (a) Aarav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Aarav folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Aarav was scared.
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima was tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) angry
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was really hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) cold (b) tired (c) hungry
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is cold? (a) Rohan was cold. (b) Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Rohan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) cold (b) bored (c) tired
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) tired (b) scared (c) bored
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) happy
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is cold? (a) Pooja was cold. (b) Pooja counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Pooja rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) angry (b) scared (c) hungry
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is hungry? (a) Ananya was hungry. (b) Ananya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Ananya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) scared
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was really happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is cold? (a) Manav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Manav was cold. (c) Manav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is cold? (a) Joseph was cold. (b) Joseph’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Joseph counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.

Answer key

  1. scared
  2. bored
  3. telling
  4. happy
  5. telling
  6. Manav beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  7. Sahil sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  8. Saanvi’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  9. Fatima could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  10. Ishaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  11. telling
  12. showing
  13. showing
  14. scared
  15. A tear rolled slowly down Ananya’s cheek.
  16. Arjun counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  17. telling
  18. showing
  19. Nisha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  20. Maria hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  21. Aarav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  22. showing
  23. telling
  24. happy
  25. telling
  26. cold
  27. Rohan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  28. bored
  29. tired
  30. happy
  31. Pooja rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  32. scared
  33. Ananya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  34. showing
  35. bored
  36. telling
  37. telling
  38. showing
  39. Manav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  40. Joseph’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.

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