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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 288 · 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?
    “Tears filled Rohan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is cold? (a) Neel rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Neel was cold. (c) Neel gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) cold (b) bored (c) happy
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) cold
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is cold? (a) Arjun was cold. (b) Arjun dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Arjun’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Farhan’s cheek.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) sad
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is sad? (a) Maria dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Maria was sad. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Maria’s cheek.
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is cold? (a) Aarav was cold. (b) Aarav beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Aarav rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) scared (b) happy (c) bored
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is tired? (a) Dev sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Dev was tired. (c) Dev rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) hungry (b) sad (c) happy
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is bored? (a) Kabir was bored. (b) Kabir drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Kabir hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) cold
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is scared? (a) Aisha could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (b) Aisha was scared. (c) Aisha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is tired? (a) Dev’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Dev sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Dev was tired.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is hungry? (a) Zoya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Zoya was hungry. (c) Zoya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Farhan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is sad? (a) Manav was sad. (b) Manav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Manav kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is tired? (a) Farhan was tired. (b) Farhan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Farhan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is hungry? (a) Riya was hungry. (b) Riya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Tears filled Riya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is cold? (a) Aarav was cold. (b) Aarav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Aarav folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is scared? (a) Pooja’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Pooja’s cheek. (c) Pooja was scared.
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Tara’s cheek.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) scared
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) sad
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) cold
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is sad? (a) Manav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Manav sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Manav was sad.
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) hungry (b) sad (c) scared
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) hungry
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is angry? (a) Dev’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Dev was angry. (c) Dev threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel felt very cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) scared
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is hungry? (a) Maria gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Maria threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Maria was hungry.

Answer key

  1. showing
  2. Neel rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  3. bored
  4. telling
  5. telling
  6. bored
  7. Arjun’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  8. showing
  9. telling
  10. sad
  11. showing
  12. A tear rolled slowly down Maria’s cheek.
  13. Aarav rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  14. bored
  15. Dev rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  16. sad
  17. showing
  18. Kabir drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  19. showing
  20. happy
  21. Aisha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  22. Dev’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  23. Zoya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  24. showing
  25. Manav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  26. Farhan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  27. Riya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  28. Aarav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  29. Pooja’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  30. sad
  31. tired
  32. tired
  33. Manav sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  34. scared
  35. sad
  36. Dev threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  37. telling
  38. telling
  39. scared
  40. Maria gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.

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