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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 36 · 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 Rohan is scared? (a) Rohan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Rohan’s cheek. (c) Rohan was scared.
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is scared? (a) Pooja’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Pooja stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Pooja was scared.
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Aarav sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Aarav was happy.
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is bored? (a) Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Aarav’s cheek. (c) Aarav was bored.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is bored? (a) Tara licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Tara kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Tara was bored.
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) hungry
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is cold? (a) Aisha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Aisha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Aisha was cold.
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Dev’s cheek.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) sad
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is tired? (a) Fatima was tired. (b) Fatima folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Fatima rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) angry
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) tired (b) scared (c) angry
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan was tired. (b) Rohan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is sad? (a) Nisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Nisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Nisha was sad.
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is cold? (a) Nisha folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Nisha was cold. (c) Nisha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is tired? (a) Aarav was tired. (b) Aarav could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Aarav’s cheek.
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) sad
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is happy? (a) Ananya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Ananya was happy.
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Priya’s cheek. (b) Priya was sad. (c) Priya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is hungry? (a) Dev kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Dev’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Dev was hungry.
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is cold? (a) Kavya was cold. (b) Kavya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Kavya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is scared? (a) Kavya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Kavya was scared. (c) Kavya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) angry (b) cold (c) hungry
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) cold (b) sad (c) angry
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was really scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was really bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is cold? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Manav’s cheek. (b) Manav was cold. (c) Manav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) sad
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya felt very tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) hungry
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha felt very cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) cold (b) scared (c) angry

Answer key

  1. Rohan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  2. showing
  3. showing
  4. Pooja’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  5. Aarav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  6. Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  7. Tara kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  8. happy
  9. Aisha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  10. showing
  11. sad
  12. Fatima rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  13. sad
  14. angry
  15. Rohan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  16. Nisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  17. Nisha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  18. Aarav could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  19. sad
  20. Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  21. A tear rolled slowly down Priya’s cheek.
  22. showing
  23. Dev kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  24. Kavya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  25. Kavya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  26. cold
  27. cold
  28. telling
  29. telling
  30. Manav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  31. bored
  32. showing
  33. telling
  34. telling
  35. happy
  36. showing
  37. showing
  38. telling
  39. telling
  40. scared

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