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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 482 · 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?
    “Saanvi was really tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) tired
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) cold (b) tired (c) happy
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) bored (b) cold (c) angry
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is hungry? (a) Priya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Priya was hungry. (c) Priya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is bored? (a) Diya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Diya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Diya was bored.
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) tired
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is bored? (a) Kavya was bored. (b) Kavya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Kavya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir felt very tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is hungry? (a) Manav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Manav was hungry. (c) Manav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is hungry? (a) Ananya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Ananya was hungry. (c) Ananya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) cold (b) bored (c) happy
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is happy? (a) Rohan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Rohan was happy. (c) Rohan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) hungry
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is tired? (a) Tenzin kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Tenzin was tired. (c) Tenzin’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is cold? (a) Manav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Manav stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Manav was cold.
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is sad? (a) Pooja was sad. (b) Pooja’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Pooja’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) happy
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) hungry
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) angry (b) cold (c) scared
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is cold? (a) Neel could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Neel was cold. (c) Neel rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan was really sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is scared? (a) Tara drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Tara froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Tara was scared.
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Farhan’s cheek.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) scared
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) bored
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) scared (b) bored (c) tired
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is angry? (a) Aryan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Aryan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Aryan was angry.
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran was really sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is sad? (a) Tara folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Tears filled Tara’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Tara was sad.
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) angry
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) sad
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is scared? (a) Saanvi shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Saanvi’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Saanvi was scared.
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) happy
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) cold
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) bored (b) cold (c) sad

Answer key

  1. telling
  2. tired
  3. happy
  4. showing
  5. angry
  6. Priya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  7. Diya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  8. hungry
  9. Kavya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  10. showing
  11. telling
  12. Manav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  13. Ananya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  14. bored
  15. Rohan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  16. hungry
  17. Tenzin’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  18. showing
  19. Manav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  20. Pooja’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  21. happy
  22. cold
  23. angry
  24. Neel rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  25. telling
  26. Tara froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  27. sad
  28. bored
  29. bored
  30. Aryan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  31. telling
  32. Tears filled Tara’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  33. hungry
  34. happy
  35. showing
  36. Saanvi’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  37. angry
  38. cold
  39. telling
  40. bored

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