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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 378 · 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 Tara is happy? (a) Tara was happy. (b) Tara laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Tara could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is tired? (a) Aryan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Aryan was tired. (c) Aryan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) scared
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) hungry
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is scared? (a) Kavya was scared. (b) Kavya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Kavya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) tired (b) scared (c) sad
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera felt very angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is angry? (a) Simran stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Simran was angry. (c) Simran beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Sneha’s cheek.”     (a) bored (b) hungry (c) sad
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is happy? (a) Rohan was happy. (b) Rohan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Rohan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha felt very hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is cold? (a) Ananya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Ananya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Ananya was cold.
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) scared
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) scared
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is cold? (a) Saanvi was cold. (b) Saanvi’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Saanvi’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is hungry? (a) Imran was hungry. (b) Tears filled Imran’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Imran licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is hungry? (a) Kabir’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Kabir stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Kabir was hungry.
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) tired
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Rohan was tired. (c) Rohan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is scared? (a) Imran was scared. (b) Imran shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Imran’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav felt very scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is cold? (a) Aryan was cold. (b) Aryan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Aryan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is sad? (a) Rohan was sad. (b) Rohan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Rohan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) tired
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is happy? (a) Yash counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Yash was happy. (c) Yash laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan was really happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is scared? (a) Riya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Riya was scared. (c) Riya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is cold? (a) Arjun was cold. (b) Arjun rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Arjun’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) tired
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin felt very tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) cold (b) bored (c) angry

Answer key

  1. Tara laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  2. Aryan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  3. scared
  4. telling
  5. sad
  6. Kavya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  7. scared
  8. showing
  9. telling
  10. telling
  11. Simran stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  12. telling
  13. sad
  14. Rohan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  15. telling
  16. telling
  17. Ananya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  18. scared
  19. happy
  20. showing
  21. Saanvi’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  22. Imran licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  23. Kabir’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  24. hungry
  25. Rohan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  26. Imran’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  27. telling
  28. showing
  29. Aryan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  30. Rohan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  31. tired
  32. Yash laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  33. telling
  34. showing
  35. showing
  36. Riya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  37. Arjun’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  38. happy
  39. telling
  40. bored

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