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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

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

Answer key

  1. Kavya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  2. Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  3. telling
  4. Sahil sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  5. showing
  6. Zoya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  7. bored
  8. Rohan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  9. A tear rolled slowly down Nisha’s cheek.
  10. Ishaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  11. Vihaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  12. scared
  13. telling
  14. Aisha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  15. telling
  16. Rohan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  17. showing
  18. Diya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  19. showing
  20. bored
  21. angry
  22. bored
  23. Vihaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  24. Ananya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  25. angry
  26. cold
  27. showing
  28. telling
  29. angry
  30. telling
  31. Simran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  32. telling
  33. showing
  34. Saanvi laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  35. tired
  36. telling
  37. Neel kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  38. sad
  39. sad
  40. showing

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