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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 476 · 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 feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) bored (b) cold (c) sad
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is hungry? (a) Priya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Priya was hungry. (c) Priya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) scared (b) sad (c) happy
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is tired? (a) Meera was tired. (b) Meera dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Meera’s cheek.
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) happy
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) cold
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) angry
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is happy? (a) Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Aryan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Aryan was happy.
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) cold (b) angry (c) bored
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is hungry? (a) Simran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Simran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Simran was hungry.
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) cold (b) angry (c) tired
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is angry? (a) Rohan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Rohan was angry. (c) Rohan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin felt very angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) hungry (b) sad (c) cold
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is angry? (a) Tears filled Kabir’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Kabir stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Kabir was angry.
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is hungry? (a) Kabir was hungry. (b) Kabir’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Kabir kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was really sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is hungry? (a) Manav kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Manav was hungry. (c) Manav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is cold? (a) Sahil kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Sahil’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Sahil was cold.
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) scared (b) bored (c) cold
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) happy
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is happy? (a) Tenzin was happy. (b) Tenzin grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Tenzin’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) sad (b) cold (c) tired
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is cold? (a) Riya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Riya was cold. (c) Riya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is cold? (a) Vihaan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Vihaan was cold. (c) Vihaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) hungry
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is scared? (a) Kavya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Kavya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Kavya was scared.
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha was really scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is happy? (a) Sahil grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Sahil’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Sahil was happy.
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is angry? (a) Diya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Diya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Diya was angry.
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is sad? (a) Zoya was sad. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Zoya’s cheek. (c) Zoya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya felt very cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) hungry
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel felt very tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is happy? (a) Diya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Diya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Diya was happy.
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) tired

Answer key

  1. cold
  2. Priya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  3. happy
  4. Meera dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  5. happy
  6. cold
  7. angry
  8. Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  9. angry
  10. Simran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  11. cold
  12. Rohan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  13. telling
  14. showing
  15. cold
  16. Kabir stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  17. Kabir kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  18. showing
  19. telling
  20. Manav kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  21. Sahil’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  22. scared
  23. happy
  24. Tenzin grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  25. cold
  26. Riya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  27. Vihaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  28. tired
  29. Kavya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  30. telling
  31. Sahil grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  32. Diya stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  33. A tear rolled slowly down Zoya’s cheek.
  34. telling
  35. tired
  36. telling
  37. showing
  38. Diya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  39. showing
  40. tired

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