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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 474 · 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.

NameDateTime takenScore ___ / 40
  1. 1.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was really scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was really tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) angry
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) hungry (b) sad (c) tired
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was really angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) hungry
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) hungry
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is scared? (a) Priya was scared. (b) Priya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Priya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) angry (b) tired (c) bored
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is scared? (a) Tenzin was scared. (b) Tenzin’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Tenzin drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is cold? (a) Aisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Aisha was cold. (c) Aisha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) hungry
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is scared? (a) Manav sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Manav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Manav was scared.
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Farhan’s cheek.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) happy
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is bored? (a) Nisha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Nisha was bored. (c) Nisha sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is cold? (a) Yash was cold. (b) Yash’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Yash’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is tired? (a) Ananya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Ananya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Ananya was tired.
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Diya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) angry
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is sad? (a) Joseph laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Joseph was sad. (c) Joseph’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) tired
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is cold? (a) Diya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Diya was cold. (c) Diya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is bored? (a) Tears filled Priya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (b) Priya was bored. (c) Priya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) scared (b) sad (c) cold
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is bored? (a) Ananya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Ananya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Ananya was bored.
  32. 32.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’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is angry? (a) Saanvi was angry. (b) Saanvi threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Saanvi froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is happy? (a) Diya was happy. (b) Diya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Diya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) hungry
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) scared
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is happy? (a) Tara hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Tears filled Tara’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Tara was happy.
  40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was really sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling

Answer key

  1. telling
  2. telling
  3. showing
  4. angry
  5. tired
  6. telling
  7. telling
  8. hungry
  9. showing
  10. bored
  11. Priya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  12. bored
  13. Tenzin’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  14. Aisha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  15. cold
  16. Manav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  17. sad
  18. Nisha sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  19. Yash’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  20. Ananya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  21. sad
  22. telling
  23. showing
  24. Joseph’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  25. hungry
  26. Diya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  27. showing
  28. Priya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  29. showing
  30. cold
  31. Ananya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  32. Kavya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  33. Saanvi threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  34. Diya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  35. telling
  36. showing
  37. happy
  38. happy
  39. Tara hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  40. telling

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