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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

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

Answer key

  1. Imran’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  2. Aarav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  3. Meera gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  4. telling
  5. Pooja beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  6. telling
  7. showing
  8. sad
  9. showing
  10. telling
  11. Vihaan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  12. Aryan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  13. Priya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  14. Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  15. showing
  16. Maria shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  17. showing
  18. tired
  19. telling
  20. showing
  21. telling
  22. Meera rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  23. tired
  24. Arjun’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  25. cold
  26. showing
  27. Riya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  28. happy
  29. Tenzin folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  30. Maria gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  31. Simran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  32. Aarav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  33. Pooja threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  34. sad
  35. bored
  36. sad
  37. telling
  38. sad
  39. scared
  40. telling

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