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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 275 · 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?
    “Joseph beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) cold (b) tired (c) happy
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) tired
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran was happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is tired? (a) Tara could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (b) Tears filled Tara’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Tara was tired.
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is happy? (a) Neel hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Neel’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Neel was happy.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is happy? (a) Imran beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Imran was happy. (c) Imran’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is cold? (a) Saanvi’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Saanvi was cold. (c) Saanvi’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is happy? (a) Joseph beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Joseph was happy. (c) Joseph’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is tired? (a) Meera’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Meera dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Meera was tired.
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha was really angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara felt very hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is hungry? (a) Yash rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Yash was hungry. (c) Yash gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan was tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is cold? (a) Dev was cold. (b) Dev sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Dev rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) cold (b) tired (c) angry
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is bored? (a) Aisha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Aisha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Aisha was bored.
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) tired
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja felt very hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) tired (b) angry (c) hungry
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) angry (b) tired (c) hungry
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran was really cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was really angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is scared? (a) Ananya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Ananya was scared. (c) Ananya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is hungry? (a) Arjun gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Arjun was hungry. (c) Arjun could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was really angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is happy? (a) Kavya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Kavya was happy.
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was really sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is cold? (a) Riya was cold. (b) Riya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Riya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) angry (b) bored (c) scared
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya felt very angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is tired? (a) Sahil drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Sahil was tired. (c) Sahil’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) tired (b) hungry (c) cold
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) happy

Answer key

  1. happy
  2. tired
  3. telling
  4. Tara could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  5. showing
  6. Neel hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  7. Imran beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  8. Saanvi’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  9. Joseph beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  10. Meera dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  11. telling
  12. telling
  13. telling
  14. showing
  15. Yash gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  16. telling
  17. Dev rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  18. angry
  19. Aisha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  20. tired
  21. telling
  22. telling
  23. angry
  24. angry
  25. telling
  26. telling
  27. Ananya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  28. showing
  29. Arjun gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  30. telling
  31. Kavya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  32. showing
  33. telling
  34. showing
  35. Riya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  36. angry
  37. telling
  38. Sahil’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  39. hungry
  40. hungry

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