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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 359 · 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 Aarav is hungry? (a) Aarav licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Aarav was hungry. (c) Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) hungry (b) happy (c) tired
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya felt very sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is scared? (a) Aisha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Aisha was scared. (c) Aisha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is angry? (a) Aisha was angry. (b) Aisha folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Aisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is hungry? (a) Simran’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Simran was hungry. (c) Simran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) angry
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) happy
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) scared
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is tired? (a) Ananya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Ananya was tired. (c) Ananya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) hungry
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is cold? (a) Joseph rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Joseph was cold. (c) Joseph rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Fatima’s cheek.”     (a) cold (b) sad (c) angry
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) angry (b) hungry (c) scared
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is bored? (a) Nisha was bored. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Nisha’s cheek. (c) Nisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) bored
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan felt very sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is tired? (a) Imran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Imran rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Imran was tired.
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) bored
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan felt very scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is hungry? (a) Arjun was hungry. (b) Arjun licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek.
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) tired (b) bored (c) happy
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is cold? (a) Pooja threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Pooja was cold. (c) Pooja rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) cold
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is tired? (a) Riya was tired. (b) Riya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Riya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is sad? (a) Yash was sad. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Yash’s cheek. (c) Yash shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) sad
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is angry? (a) Rohan stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Rohan’s cheek. (c) Rohan was angry.
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) happy
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is bored? (a) Saanvi sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Saanvi sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Saanvi was bored.
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is cold? (a) Tenzin was cold. (b) Tenzin froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Tenzin rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph was bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is bored? (a) Dev counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Dev sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Dev was bored.
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is bored? (a) Meera rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Meera sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Meera was bored.

Answer key

  1. Aarav licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  2. happy
  3. telling
  4. Aisha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  5. Aisha folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  6. Simran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  7. angry
  8. happy
  9. hungry
  10. Ananya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  11. hungry
  12. Joseph rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  13. sad
  14. telling
  15. hungry
  16. Nisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  17. hungry
  18. telling
  19. Imran rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  20. telling
  21. cold
  22. telling
  23. Arjun licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  24. bored
  25. Pooja rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  26. cold
  27. Riya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  28. A tear rolled slowly down Yash’s cheek.
  29. telling
  30. showing
  31. bored
  32. Rohan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  33. bored
  34. showing
  35. Saanvi sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  36. telling
  37. Tenzin rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  38. telling
  39. Dev counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  40. Meera sighed and flipped through the same comic again.

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