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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 280 · 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?
    “Riya was bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) hungry
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is scared? (a) Saanvi’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Saanvi was scared. (c) Saanvi beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran felt very sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is bored? (a) Aisha stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Aisha was bored. (c) Aisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) scared
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) scared (b) sad (c) tired
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is tired? (a) Vihaan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Vihaan was tired. (c) Vihaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is sad? (a) Saanvi was sad. (b) Saanvi grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Saanvi’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is scared? (a) Dev drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Dev was scared. (c) Dev’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) sad (b) cold (c) angry
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is scared? (a) Joseph’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Joseph gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Joseph was scared.
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) tired (b) angry (c) hungry
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is happy? (a) Nisha was happy. (b) Nisha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Nisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria was really sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is scared? (a) Aarav stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Aarav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Aarav was scared.
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is hungry? (a) Ananya was hungry. (b) Ananya beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Ananya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) bored
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is happy? (a) Ishaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Ishaan was happy. (c) Ishaan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) scared (b) angry (c) bored
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is cold? (a) Neel was cold. (b) Neel’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Neel shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) angry (b) hungry (c) cold
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) bored
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) bored
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is bored? (a) Neel was bored. (b) Neel counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Neel could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) angry
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is cold? (a) Imran’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Imran was cold. (c) Imran drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) scared
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is angry? (a) Kabir was angry. (b) Kabir licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Kabir stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran felt very sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) tired
  40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was really angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing

Answer key

  1. telling
  2. hungry
  3. Saanvi’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  4. telling
  5. Aisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  6. scared
  7. sad
  8. telling
  9. showing
  10. Vihaan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  11. Saanvi’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  12. Dev’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  13. sad
  14. Joseph gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  15. showing
  16. showing
  17. angry
  18. Nisha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  19. telling
  20. Aarav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  21. Ananya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  22. showing
  23. telling
  24. sad
  25. Ishaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  26. bored
  27. Neel shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  28. angry
  29. tired
  30. telling
  31. bored
  32. showing
  33. Neel counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  34. scared
  35. Imran’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  36. happy
  37. Kabir stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  38. telling
  39. tired
  40. telling

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