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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 500 · 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?
    “Zoya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) cold (b) angry (c) tired
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) sad
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) scared (b) sad (c) bored
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) telling (b) showing
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is happy? (a) Ishaan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Ishaan was happy. (c) Ishaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is cold? (a) Meera’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Meera rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Meera was cold.
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is cold? (a) Nisha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Nisha was cold. (c) Nisha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) bored
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is angry? (a) Kabir stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Kabir could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Kabir was angry.
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is hungry? (a) Kabir was hungry. (b) Kabir sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Kabir’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) cold
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Dev’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) scared (b) sad (c) hungry
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is scared? (a) Vihaan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Vihaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Vihaan was scared.
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is angry? (a) Meera kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Meera threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Meera was angry.
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya felt very tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Aisha’s cheek. (b) Aisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Aisha was sad.
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is angry? (a) Rohan was angry. (b) Rohan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Rohan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is happy? (a) Manav was happy. (b) Manav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Manav’s cheek.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is sad? (a) Aryan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Aryan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Aryan was sad.
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is scared? (a) Rohan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Rohan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Rohan was scared.
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is angry? (a) Arjun stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Arjun was angry. (c) Tears filled Arjun’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) cold (b) tired (c) scared
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is scared? (a) Diya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Diya was scared. (c) Diya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is happy? (a) Arjun laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Arjun froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Arjun was happy.
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) cold
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) cold
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was really sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) hungry (b) angry (c) scared
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is sad? (a) Tears filled Tenzin’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Tenzin grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Tenzin was sad.
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is happy? (a) Kabir gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Kabir was happy. (c) Kabir beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan was really bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is tired? (a) Farhan was tired. (b) Farhan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Farhan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.

Answer key

  1. cold
  2. sad
  3. bored
  4. showing
  5. showing
  6. Ishaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  7. Meera rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  8. Nisha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  9. scared
  10. Kabir stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  11. Kabir’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  12. showing
  13. sad
  14. sad
  15. Vihaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  16. Meera threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  17. showing
  18. telling
  19. telling
  20. A tear rolled slowly down Aisha’s cheek.
  21. Rohan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  22. Manav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  23. Aryan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  24. showing
  25. Rohan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  26. Arjun stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  27. showing
  28. telling
  29. tired
  30. Diya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  31. Arjun laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  32. tired
  33. cold
  34. telling
  35. angry
  36. Tears filled Tenzin’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  37. showing
  38. Kabir beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  39. telling
  40. Farhan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.

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