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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 272 · 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 gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) bored
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is hungry? (a) Tenzin sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Tenzin gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Tenzin was hungry.
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) angry (b) sad (c) cold
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) hungry
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Dev’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) bored (b) cold (c) sad
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.”     (a) bored (b) scared (c) angry
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is angry? (a) Diya was angry. (b) Diya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Diya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is bored? (a) Joseph drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Joseph was bored. (c) Joseph shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) scared (b) happy (c) bored
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) hungry
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha felt very tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is tired? (a) Manav was tired. (b) Manav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Manav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel felt very hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is angry? (a) Arjun’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Arjun was angry. (c) Arjun threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was really bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is sad? (a) Rohan was sad. (b) Rohan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Rohan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is tired? (a) Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Kavya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Kavya was tired.
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) cold (b) angry (c) scared
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) hungry
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is sad? (a) Farhan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Farhan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Farhan was sad.
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is sad? (a) Neel was sad. (b) Neel sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Neel’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is bored? (a) Manav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Manav kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Manav was bored.
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is cold? (a) Ishaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Ishaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Ishaan was cold.
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) cold
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) scared
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) bored
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Arjun was scared. (c) Arjun’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is sad? (a) Manav beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Manav was sad. (c) Manav sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is scared? (a) Kabir was scared. (b) Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Kabir’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is cold? (a) Kavya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Kavya was cold. (c) Kavya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) sad
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was really tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is sad? (a) Sahil was sad. (b) Sahil shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Tears filled Sahil’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) telling (b) showing

Answer key

  1. showing
  2. cold
  3. Tenzin gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  4. angry
  5. bored
  6. sad
  7. scared
  8. Diya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  9. Joseph drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  10. happy
  11. happy
  12. telling
  13. Manav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  14. telling
  15. Arjun threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  16. showing
  17. telling
  18. Rohan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  19. showing
  20. Kavya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  21. angry
  22. tired
  23. telling
  24. showing
  25. Farhan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  26. Neel sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  27. Manav kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  28. showing
  29. Ishaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  30. cold
  31. angry
  32. happy
  33. Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  34. Manav sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  35. Kabir’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  36. Kavya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  37. happy
  38. telling
  39. Tears filled Sahil’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  40. showing

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