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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 442 · 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?
    “Diya felt very sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is happy? (a) Yash was happy. (b) Yash licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Yash beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) bored
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) angry (b) tired (c) cold
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) hungry
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is tired? (a) Saanvi was tired. (b) Saanvi rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Saanvi’s cheek.
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria was cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is angry? (a) Saanvi was angry. (b) Saanvi grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Saanvi stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash was really happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is sad? (a) Pooja was sad. (b) Pooja hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Pooja’s cheek.
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) tired (b) bored (c) scared
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is angry? (a) Sahil sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Sahil’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Sahil was angry.
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is sad? (a) Saanvi froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Saanvi’s cheek. (c) Saanvi was sad.
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) angry
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is sad? (a) Sneha was sad. (b) Tears filled Sneha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Sneha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is bored? (a) Kavya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Kavya was bored. (c) Kavya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is angry? (a) Aarav was angry. (b) Aarav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Aarav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) hungry
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is tired? (a) Tenzin dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Tenzin beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Tenzin was tired.
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) angry
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) showing (b) telling
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) hungry
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is cold? (a) Imran sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Imran was cold. (c) Imran shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) cold (b) bored (c) sad
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is sad? (a) Meera was sad. (b) Meera’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Meera sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) angry (b) sad (c) tired
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is scared? (a) Priya was scared. (b) Priya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Priya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is sad? (a) Vihaan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Tears filled Vihaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Vihaan was sad.
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is hungry? (a) Neel could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Neel was hungry. (c) Neel’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria was really angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) bored

Answer key

  1. telling
  2. Yash beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  3. showing
  4. bored
  5. telling
  6. cold
  7. angry
  8. Saanvi rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  9. telling
  10. Saanvi stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  11. telling
  12. A tear rolled slowly down Pooja’s cheek.
  13. bored
  14. Sahil’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  15. A tear rolled slowly down Saanvi’s cheek.
  16. happy
  17. Tears filled Sneha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  18. Kavya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  19. showing
  20. showing
  21. Aarav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  22. hungry
  23. Tenzin dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  24. showing
  25. showing
  26. telling
  27. angry
  28. showing
  29. bored
  30. Imran shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  31. sad
  32. Meera sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  33. angry
  34. showing
  35. Priya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  36. Tears filled Vihaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  37. Neel’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  38. telling
  39. telling
  40. happy

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