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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 376 · 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 Sahil is angry? (a) Sahil was angry. (b) Sahil’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Tears filled Sahil’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is tired? (a) Riya was tired. (b) Riya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Riya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is cold? (a) Simran was cold. (b) Simran beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Simran shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) scared
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) bored
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is scared? (a) Tears filled Joseph’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Joseph was scared. (c) Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya felt very sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is sad? (a) Rohan was sad. (b) Rohan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Rohan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) bored (b) scared (c) happy
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is hungry? (a) Simran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Simran counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Simran was hungry.
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was really scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is tired? (a) Maria laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Maria rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Maria was tired.
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria felt very cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is happy? (a) Priya was happy. (b) Priya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Priya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is angry? (a) Nisha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Nisha was angry. (c) Nisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) happy
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is happy? (a) Sahil grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Sahil was happy. (c) Sahil folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi felt very sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is angry? (a) Aarav was angry. (b) Aarav kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Aarav folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is scared? (a) Diya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Diya was scared. (c) Diya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) showing (b) telling
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was really scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is angry? (a) Riya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Riya was angry. (c) Riya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is sad? (a) Saanvi’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Saanvi’s cheek. (c) Saanvi was sad.
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is happy? (a) Aisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Aisha was happy. (c) Aisha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is cold? (a) Dev’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Dev was cold. (c) Dev grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is happy? (a) Fatima was happy. (b) Fatima’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Fatima grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) hungry (b) happy (c) angry
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is sad? (a) Rohan was sad. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Rohan’s cheek. (c) Rohan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) bored

Answer key

  1. Sahil’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  2. Riya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  3. Simran shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  4. hungry
  5. bored
  6. Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  7. showing
  8. telling
  9. Rohan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  10. bored
  11. Simran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  12. telling
  13. showing
  14. Maria rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  15. showing
  16. telling
  17. Priya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  18. showing
  19. Nisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  20. sad
  21. showing
  22. Sahil grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  23. telling
  24. Aarav folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  25. Diya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  26. showing
  27. telling
  28. Riya stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  29. showing
  30. A tear rolled slowly down Saanvi’s cheek.
  31. Aisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  32. showing
  33. telling
  34. telling
  35. Dev’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  36. Fatima grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  37. angry
  38. A tear rolled slowly down Rohan’s cheek.
  39. showing
  40. cold

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