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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 388 · 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 Pooja is hungry? (a) Pooja stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Pooja kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Pooja was hungry.
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is happy? (a) Farhan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Farhan was happy. (c) Farhan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is happy? (a) Dev stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Dev hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Dev was happy.
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) tired (b) angry (c) cold
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is cold? (a) Farhan was cold. (b) Farhan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Farhan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) angry
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) cold (b) sad (c) scared
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan felt very bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is hungry? (a) Diya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Diya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Diya was hungry.
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is scared? (a) Aryan was scared. (b) Aryan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Aryan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) angry (b) cold (c) scared
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was really hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is happy? (a) Arjun was happy. (b) Arjun grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Arjun’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) tired
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is scared? (a) Meera was scared. (b) Meera’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Meera’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) scared
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is hungry? (a) Tara laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Tara was hungry. (c) Tara licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is scared? (a) Rohan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Rohan was scared. (c) Rohan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is sad? (a) Saanvi sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Saanvi was sad. (c) Saanvi could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) cold (b) sad (c) angry
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is happy? (a) Vihaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Vihaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Vihaan was happy.
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) happy
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is scared? (a) Sneha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Sneha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Sneha was scared.
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) hungry
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) scared (b) sad (c) hungry
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) scared
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is bored? (a) Tenzin sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Tenzin’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Tenzin was bored.
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is sad? (a) Ananya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Tears filled Ananya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Ananya was sad.
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was really sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) hungry
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is happy? (a) Farhan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Farhan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Farhan was happy.
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Dev’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) scared
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) tired (b) angry (c) sad
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) cold (b) sad (c) angry

Answer key

  1. Pooja kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  2. Farhan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  3. Dev hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  4. tired
  5. Farhan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  6. happy
  7. showing
  8. cold
  9. telling
  10. Diya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  11. Aryan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  12. angry
  13. telling
  14. Arjun grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  15. showing
  16. happy
  17. Meera’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  18. cold
  19. telling
  20. Tara licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  21. Rohan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  22. Saanvi sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  23. cold
  24. Vihaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  25. showing
  26. sad
  27. showing
  28. Sneha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  29. hungry
  30. sad
  31. sad
  32. Tenzin sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  33. Tears filled Ananya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  34. telling
  35. happy
  36. Farhan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  37. showing
  38. bored
  39. angry
  40. sad

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