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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 316 · 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?
    “Saanvi felt very angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is hungry? (a) Kavya was hungry. (b) Kavya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Kavya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is hungry? (a) Priya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Priya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Priya was hungry.
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is tired? (a) Joseph was tired. (b) Joseph dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Joseph kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) angry (b) cold (c) happy
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is scared? (a) Maria was scared. (b) Maria’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Maria froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is sad? (a) Ishaan was sad. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Ishaan’s cheek. (c) Ishaan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) sad (b) cold (c) bored
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) cold
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Imran’s cheek.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) tired (b) hungry (c) scared
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) bored
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) cold (b) bored (c) scared
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) cold
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is scared? (a) Ishaan was scared. (b) Ishaan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Ishaan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) scared (b) bored (c) sad
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) hungry
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is angry? (a) Priya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Priya was angry. (c) Priya folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph felt very bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) cold (b) sad (c) hungry
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is sad? (a) Sneha was sad. (b) Sneha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Sneha’s cheek.
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is sad? (a) Imran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Tears filled Imran’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Imran was sad.
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel felt very sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is angry? (a) Priya was angry. (b) Priya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Priya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  29. 29.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 kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is sad? (a) Priya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Priya was sad. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Priya’s cheek.
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Aisha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) cold
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) cold
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) scared
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  36. 36.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 counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) cold (b) bored (c) angry
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is bored? (a) Imran was bored. (b) Imran gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Imran sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) cold (b) tired (c) bored

Answer key

  1. telling
  2. Kavya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  3. Priya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  4. Joseph dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  5. cold
  6. Maria froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  7. telling
  8. A tear rolled slowly down Ishaan’s cheek.
  9. sad
  10. cold
  11. showing
  12. tired
  13. happy
  14. bored
  15. hungry
  16. Ishaan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  17. sad
  18. hungry
  19. showing
  20. Priya folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  21. telling
  22. sad
  23. A tear rolled slowly down Sneha’s cheek.
  24. Tears filled Imran’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  25. telling
  26. showing
  27. showing
  28. Priya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  29. Meera kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  30. showing
  31. A tear rolled slowly down Priya’s cheek.
  32. sad
  33. happy
  34. tired
  35. showing
  36. Manav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  37. telling
  38. angry
  39. Imran sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  40. tired

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