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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 331 · 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?
    “Meera was really happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was really cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) angry
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha felt very sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is hungry? (a) Kabir froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Kabir was hungry. (c) Kabir kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was really angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) bored
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is hungry? (a) Kavya was hungry. (b) Kavya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Kavya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) tired (b) cold (c) angry
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is hungry? (a) Pooja was hungry. (b) Pooja’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Pooja kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya felt very sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) scared
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) scared
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is hungry? (a) Sneha was hungry. (b) Sneha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Sneha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir felt very scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is happy? (a) Yash kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Yash was happy. (c) Yash beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) tired
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is sad? (a) Rohan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Tears filled Rohan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Rohan was sad.
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is tired? (a) Maria was tired. (b) Maria rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Maria licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) sad
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is tired? (a) Pooja was tired. (b) Pooja kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Pooja’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is bored? (a) Neel could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Neel was bored. (c) Neel kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is cold? (a) Vihaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Vihaan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Vihaan was cold.
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is happy? (a) Rohan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Rohan was happy. (c) Rohan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is hungry? (a) Farhan was hungry. (b) Farhan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Tears filled Farhan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was really sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is sad? (a) Maria grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Maria was sad. (c) Maria’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  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.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is happy? (a) Joseph beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Joseph gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Joseph was happy.
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) bored (b) scared (c) sad
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) angry (b) hungry (c) happy
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is bored? (a) Joseph kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Joseph counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Joseph was bored.
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima was really angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) sad (b) cold (c) tired

Answer key

  1. telling
  2. telling
  3. cold
  4. telling
  5. Kabir kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  6. telling
  7. telling
  8. sad
  9. Kavya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  10. angry
  11. Pooja kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  12. showing
  13. telling
  14. scared
  15. cold
  16. Sneha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  17. telling
  18. Yash beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  19. tired
  20. Tears filled Rohan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  21. showing
  22. Maria rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  23. sad
  24. telling
  25. Pooja’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  26. Neel kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  27. Vihaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  28. showing
  29. Rohan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  30. Farhan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  31. telling
  32. Maria’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  33. showing
  34. Joseph beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  35. sad
  36. angry
  37. Joseph counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  38. telling
  39. showing
  40. tired

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