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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 277 · 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.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) angry
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) angry (b) hungry (c) cold
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) hungry (b) angry (c) tired
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Arjun grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Arjun was scared. (c) Arjun’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) angry
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya felt very cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Meera’s cheek. (b) Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Meera was sad.
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) bored
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is hungry? (a) Manav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Manav was hungry. (c) Manav licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is bored? (a) Imran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Imran counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Imran was bored.
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) tired
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) cold
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is happy? (a) Meera was happy. (b) Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Meera rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan felt very sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) hungry
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is hungry? (a) Farhan was hungry. (b) Farhan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Farhan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima felt very tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is scared? (a) Dev was scared. (b) Dev’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Dev drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is happy? (a) Pooja hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Pooja was happy. (c) Pooja stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is sad? (a) Aryan beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Aryan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Aryan was sad.
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) tired
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is angry? (a) Sahil folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) Sahil’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Sahil was angry.
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is tired? (a) Manav was tired. (b) Manav dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Tears filled Manav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is bored? (a) Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Kavya was bored. (c) Kavya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) scared
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan felt very cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) bored
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) bored (b) scared (c) angry
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) cold (b) scared (c) sad
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) hungry
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) scared (b) angry (c) sad
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav felt very happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is sad? (a) Aarav was sad. (b) Aarav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Tears filled Aarav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) sad
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) scared (b) angry (c) cold

Answer key

  1. sad
  2. hungry
  3. hungry
  4. Arjun’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  5. tired
  6. telling
  7. A tear rolled slowly down Meera’s cheek.
  8. telling
  9. bored
  10. Manav licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  11. Imran counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  12. bored
  13. happy
  14. showing
  15. Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  16. telling
  17. hungry
  18. Farhan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  19. telling
  20. Dev’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  21. showing
  22. Pooja hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  23. Aryan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  24. showing
  25. cold
  26. Sahil folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  27. Manav dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  28. Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  29. scared
  30. telling
  31. bored
  32. telling
  33. bored
  34. sad
  35. bored
  36. scared
  37. telling
  38. Tears filled Aarav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  39. sad
  40. cold

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