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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 302 · 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?
    “Manav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) hungry
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya felt very cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) happy
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was really sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was really scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) bored
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is sad? (a) Diya was sad. (b) Diya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is angry? (a) Imran was angry. (b) Imran’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Imran stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) sad
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is scared? (a) Diya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Diya was scared. (c) Diya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) hungry
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is angry? (a) Zoya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Zoya was angry. (c) Zoya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan was tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Kavya’s cheek.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) happy
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is cold? (a) Ishaan was cold. (b) Ishaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Ishaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera felt very bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) happy
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) hungry
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Joseph’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) sad
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) hungry
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is bored? (a) Dev’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Dev kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Dev was bored.
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) tired
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is bored? (a) Imran was bored. (b) Imran sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Tears filled Imran’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) showing (b) telling
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is sad? (a) Manav beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Manav’s cheek. (c) Manav was sad.
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is tired? (a) Aisha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Aisha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Aisha was tired.
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is bored? (a) Joseph was bored. (b) Joseph kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Joseph dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Rohan was tired. (c) Rohan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) tired
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is scared? (a) Diya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Diya was scared. (c) Diya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) cold (b) sad (c) angry
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is tired? (a) Vihaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Vihaan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Vihaan was tired.
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is scared? (a) Yash was scared. (b) Yash’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Yash’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.

Answer key

  1. scared
  2. telling
  3. happy
  4. telling
  5. telling
  6. tired
  7. Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  8. Imran stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  9. hungry
  10. Diya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  11. hungry
  12. Zoya stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  13. telling
  14. sad
  15. Ishaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  16. showing
  17. showing
  18. telling
  19. happy
  20. happy
  21. sad
  22. hungry
  23. Dev kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  24. telling
  25. cold
  26. Imran sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  27. showing
  28. telling
  29. showing
  30. showing
  31. A tear rolled slowly down Manav’s cheek.
  32. Aisha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  33. telling
  34. Joseph kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  35. Rohan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  36. tired
  37. Diya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  38. cold
  39. Vihaan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  40. Yash’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.

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