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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 303 · 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?
    “Aryan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) tired
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is angry? (a) Neel threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Neel was angry. (c) Neel rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) bored
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) sad
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) happy
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is bored? (a) Fatima drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Fatima was bored. (c) Fatima froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is happy? (a) Vihaan was happy. (b) Vihaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Vihaan folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was really bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) angry
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) hungry
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) cold
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is bored? (a) Priya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Priya was bored. (c) Priya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is happy? (a) Joseph could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Joseph was happy. (c) Joseph hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was really angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) cold
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is tired? (a) Joseph’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Joseph was tired. (c) Joseph’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Aarav’s cheek.”     (a) angry (b) cold (c) sad
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) cold
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is bored? (a) Sahil was bored. (b) Sahil counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Sahil rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is bored? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Vihaan’s cheek. (b) Vihaan was bored. (c) Vihaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is bored? (a) Aarav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Aarav was bored.
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Sneha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) scared (b) sad (c) angry
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) sad
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is hungry? (a) Diya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Diya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Diya was hungry.
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) scared (b) sad (c) tired
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima was happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is tired? (a) Kavya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Kavya was tired. (c) Kavya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) tired (b) angry (c) hungry
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) hungry
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) bored (b) sad (c) angry
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is happy? (a) Aisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Aisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Aisha was happy.
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is happy? (a) Meera was happy. (b) Meera gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Meera laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is angry? (a) Saanvi hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Saanvi was angry. (c) Saanvi threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was really cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing

Answer key

  1. tired
  2. Neel threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  3. happy
  4. happy
  5. happy
  6. telling
  7. Fatima drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  8. showing
  9. Vihaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  10. telling
  11. happy
  12. hungry
  13. cold
  14. Priya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  15. Joseph hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  16. telling
  17. showing
  18. cold
  19. Joseph’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  20. sad
  21. happy
  22. Sahil counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  23. Vihaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  24. showing
  25. Aarav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  26. sad
  27. hungry
  28. Diya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  29. showing
  30. tired
  31. telling
  32. Kavya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  33. tired
  34. bored
  35. showing
  36. angry
  37. Aisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  38. Meera laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  39. Saanvi threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  40. telling

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