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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 306 · 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?
    “Joseph drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) scared
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Meera’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) tired
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Saanvi’s cheek.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) sad
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is angry? (a) Simran’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Tears filled Simran’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Simran was angry.
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) scared
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is sad? (a) Kabir was sad. (b) Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Tears filled Kabir’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is happy? (a) Manav was happy. (b) Manav rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Manav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Aisha’s cheek.”     (a) sad (b) cold (c) scared
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil felt very tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) hungry
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria felt very scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is cold? (a) Simran folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Simran shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Simran was cold.
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is cold? (a) Tenzin rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Tenzin was cold. (c) Tenzin counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) hungry
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) angry
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is hungry? (a) Sahil hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Sahil gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Sahil was hungry.
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara felt very hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) scared
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is cold? (a) Imran was cold. (b) Imran dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Imran shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is cold? (a) Kavya was cold. (b) Kavya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Kavya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is bored? (a) Neel sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Neel’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Neel was bored.
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is hungry? (a) Nisha was hungry. (b) Nisha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Nisha licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) angry
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Priya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) happy
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is bored? (a) Sahil kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Sahil was bored. (c) Sahil folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) tired
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is happy? (a) Tenzin dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Tenzin laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Tenzin was happy.
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is scared? (a) Priya was scared. (b) Priya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Priya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) tired
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) happy
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is angry? (a) Sneha stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Sneha was angry. (c) Sneha drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) bored

Answer key

  1. bored
  2. sad
  3. sad
  4. showing
  5. Simran’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  6. happy
  7. showing
  8. Tears filled Kabir’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  9. Manav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  10. sad
  11. telling
  12. tired
  13. telling
  14. Simran shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  15. Tenzin rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  16. hungry
  17. angry
  18. Sahil gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  19. telling
  20. bored
  21. Imran shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  22. showing
  23. Kavya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  24. Neel sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  25. Nisha licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  26. showing
  27. bored
  28. sad
  29. showing
  30. Sahil kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  31. showing
  32. cold
  33. Tenzin laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  34. showing
  35. Priya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  36. telling
  37. bored
  38. happy
  39. Sneha stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  40. happy

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