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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 329 · 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?
    “Diya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) scared
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is scared? (a) Neel gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Neel drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Neel was scared.
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is happy? (a) Tara hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Tara was happy. (c) Tara kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is scared? (a) Kabir’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Kabir rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Kabir was scared.
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya felt very tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Farhan’s cheek.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) hungry
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) angry
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is bored? (a) Fatima kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Fatima kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Fatima was bored.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is bored? (a) Aisha was bored. (b) Aisha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Aisha froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is angry? (a) Nisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Nisha stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Nisha was angry.
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is angry? (a) Vihaan was angry. (b) Vihaan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Vihaan’s cheek.
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) cold
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav was happy. (b) Aarav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is sad? (a) Vihaan was sad. (b) Vihaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Vihaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) tired
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is tired? (a) Farhan beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Farhan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Farhan was tired.
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is sad? (a) Ananya was sad. (b) Ananya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Tears filled Ananya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is angry? (a) Tears filled Neel’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Neel was angry. (c) Neel threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) angry (b) scared (c) sad
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) scared
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) sad
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is hungry? (a) Pooja gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Pooja was hungry. (c) Pooja’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) scared (b) happy (c) bored
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was really hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) cold
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) cold
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) tired (b) scared (c) sad
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha was really hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is tired? (a) Ananya was tired. (b) Ananya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Ananya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) scared

Answer key

  1. tired
  2. telling
  3. Neel gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  4. Tara hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  5. Kabir’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  6. telling
  7. showing
  8. sad
  9. bored
  10. telling
  11. Fatima kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  12. Aisha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  13. Nisha stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  14. Vihaan folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  15. bored
  16. Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  17. showing
  18. Vihaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  19. bored
  20. showing
  21. Farhan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  22. Tears filled Ananya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  23. Neel threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  24. angry
  25. scared
  26. tired
  27. Pooja gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  28. bored
  29. showing
  30. telling
  31. happy
  32. cold
  33. showing
  34. showing
  35. sad
  36. telling
  37. Ananya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  38. showing
  39. telling
  40. scared

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