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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 389 · 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.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) angry (b) scared (c) hungry
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) scared
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) hungry
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) scared
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is cold? (a) Tears filled Manav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Manav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Manav was cold.
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is tired? (a) Zoya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Zoya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Zoya was tired.
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Simran’s cheek.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) bored
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is scared? (a) Tara folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Tara’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Tara was scared.
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) scared
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) angry (b) happy (c) bored
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was really tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is angry? (a) Imran’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Imran gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Imran was angry.
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) tired (b) hungry (c) sad
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan felt very sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is sad? (a) Yash was sad. (b) Tears filled Yash’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Yash counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) sad (b) cold (c) happy
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) hungry
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) tired (b) hungry (c) bored
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Farhan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) cold (b) bored (c) sad
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is sad? (a) Arjun kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Arjun’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Arjun was sad.
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya felt very tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is sad? (a) Aryan was sad. (b) Tears filled Aryan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Aryan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) cold (b) scared (c) hungry
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is cold? (a) Sahil sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Sahil was cold. (c) Sahil’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is bored? (a) Ananya was bored. (b) Ananya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Ananya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) scared
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is angry? (a) Aryan was angry. (b) Aryan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Aryan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is scared? (a) Aarav was scared. (b) Aarav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Aarav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is tired? (a) Pooja was tired. (b) Pooja sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Pooja dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) scared
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) tired (b) bored (c) scared
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is sad? (a) Dev was sad. (b) Dev froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Dev’s cheek.
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is sad? (a) Tears filled Priya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (b) Priya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Priya was sad.

Answer key

  1. showing
  2. hungry
  3. scared
  4. showing
  5. sad
  6. hungry
  7. Manav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  8. Zoya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  9. sad
  10. Tara’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  11. hungry
  12. angry
  13. telling
  14. telling
  15. showing
  16. Imran’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  17. telling
  18. hungry
  19. telling
  20. Tears filled Yash’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  21. happy
  22. sad
  23. bored
  24. sad
  25. Arjun’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  26. telling
  27. Tears filled Aryan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  28. cold
  29. Sahil’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  30. Ananya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  31. tired
  32. Aryan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  33. showing
  34. Aarav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  35. Pooja dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  36. telling
  37. scared
  38. scared
  39. A tear rolled slowly down Dev’s cheek.
  40. Tears filled Priya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.

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