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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 47 · 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 sad? (a) Tara was sad. (b) Tara beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Tara’s cheek.
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) cold (b) sad (c) happy
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya felt very hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) angry
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is tired? (a) Sneha was tired. (b) Sneha could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Sneha folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) cold (b) tired (c) happy
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is scared? (a) Kavya was scared. (b) Kavya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Kavya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is bored? (a) Zoya was bored. (b) Zoya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Zoya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is tired? (a) Meera was tired. (b) Meera’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Meera rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) happy
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is sad? (a) Ananya was sad. (b) Ananya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Ananya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is sad? (a) Vihaan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Vihaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Vihaan was sad.
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is sad? (a) Tears filled Yash’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Yash could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Yash was sad.
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) angry
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is hungry? (a) Pooja’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Pooja was hungry. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Pooja’s cheek.
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is cold? (a) Rohan was cold. (b) Rohan stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Rohan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph felt very cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is bored? (a) Saanvi drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Saanvi was bored. (c) Saanvi’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) scared
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is tired? (a) Tenzin dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Tenzin was tired. (c) Tenzin laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is scared? (a) Kabir gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Tears filled Kabir’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Kabir was scared.
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) happy
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is bored? (a) Diya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Diya was bored. (c) Diya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) scared
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) scared
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) tired
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is cold? (a) Arjun shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Arjun’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Arjun was cold.
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan was angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is cold? (a) Riya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Riya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Riya was cold.
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is bored? (a) Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Aarav beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Aarav was bored.
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) cold (b) scared (c) tired
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) cold
  40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) telling (b) showing

Answer key

  1. A tear rolled slowly down Tara’s cheek.
  2. cold
  3. telling
  4. cold
  5. Sneha could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  6. cold
  7. Kavya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  8. Zoya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  9. Meera’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  10. sad
  11. Ananya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  12. Vihaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  13. showing
  14. Tears filled Yash’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  15. tired
  16. Pooja’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  17. Rohan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  18. telling
  19. Saanvi drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  20. cold
  21. telling
  22. showing
  23. Tenzin dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  24. showing
  25. Kabir gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  26. tired
  27. Diya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  28. angry
  29. happy
  30. happy
  31. Arjun shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  32. showing
  33. telling
  34. showing
  35. Riya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  36. Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  37. tired
  38. telling
  39. cold
  40. showing

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