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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 373 · 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 Saanvi is hungry? (a) Saanvi’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Saanvi kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Saanvi was hungry.
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is bored? (a) Rohan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Rohan was bored. (c) Rohan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) tired (b) hungry (c) cold
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was really bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) hungry
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) sad
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) bored
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) scared
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) tired (b) scared (c) sad
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was really cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is scared? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Fatima’s cheek. (b) Fatima was scared. (c) Fatima gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin felt very scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) happy
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is sad? (a) Priya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Priya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Priya was sad.
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is bored? (a) Rohan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Rohan was bored. (c) Rohan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is cold? (a) Ishaan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Ishaan was cold. (c) Ishaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) angry
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is sad? (a) Rohan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Tears filled Rohan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Rohan was sad.
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) scared
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) bored
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran was really hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is tired? (a) Yash’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Yash gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Yash was tired.
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is angry? (a) Sneha folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Sneha’s cheek. (c) Sneha was angry.
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) bored
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is happy? (a) Simran was happy. (b) Simran gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Simran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) bored
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is cold? (a) Rohan was cold. (b) Rohan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Tears filled Rohan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was really happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is angry? (a) Imran was angry. (b) Imran could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Imran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is angry? (a) Yash threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Tears filled Yash’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Yash was angry.
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) cold (b) angry (c) hungry
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) cold (b) scared (c) sad
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) hungry
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is bored? (a) Vihaan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Vihaan was bored. (c) Vihaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.

Answer key

  1. Saanvi kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  2. Rohan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  3. telling
  4. cold
  5. telling
  6. cold
  7. cold
  8. tired
  9. showing
  10. showing
  11. scared
  12. scared
  13. telling
  14. Fatima gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  15. telling
  16. tired
  17. Priya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  18. Rohan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  19. showing
  20. Ishaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  21. happy
  22. Tears filled Rohan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  23. scared
  24. bored
  25. telling
  26. Yash’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  27. Sneha folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  28. bored
  29. telling
  30. Simran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  31. angry
  32. Rohan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  33. telling
  34. Imran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  35. Yash threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  36. angry
  37. showing
  38. sad
  39. sad
  40. Vihaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.

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