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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 501 · 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 Meera is sad? (a) Meera sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Meera was sad. (c) Meera could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is hungry? (a) Aryan was hungry. (b) Aryan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Aryan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) hungry (b) happy (c) bored
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha was tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is happy? (a) Arjun sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Arjun laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Arjun was happy.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is cold? (a) Aarav was cold. (b) Aarav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Aarav beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is hungry? (a) Sahil was hungry. (b) Sahil shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Sahil kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is scared? (a) Yash’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Yash was scared. (c) Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  12. 12.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 rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is tired? (a) Ananya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Ananya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Ananya was tired.
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev felt very angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya felt very hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Zoya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) hungry (b) sad (c) scared
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is hungry? (a) Ananya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (b) Ananya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Ananya was hungry.
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) bored
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is cold? (a) Sahil kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Sahil was cold. (c) Sahil’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) angry
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is happy? (a) Tenzin counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Tenzin was happy. (c) Tenzin beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was really happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is hungry? (a) Saanvi’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Saanvi was hungry. (c) Saanvi gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is angry? (a) Saanvi was angry. (b) Saanvi’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Saanvi’s cheek.
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is tired? (a) Farhan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Farhan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Farhan was tired.
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was really happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is tired? (a) Diya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Diya was tired. (c) Diya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is tired? (a) Neel dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Neel’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Neel was tired.
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) hungry
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) hungry (b) angry (c) tired
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) sad
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is angry? (a) Imran was angry. (b) Imran could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Imran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”

Answer key

  1. Meera sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  2. Aryan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  3. telling
  4. bored
  5. telling
  6. Arjun laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  7. Aarav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  8. showing
  9. Sahil kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  10. showing
  11. Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  12. Diya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  13. Ananya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  14. showing
  15. telling
  16. telling
  17. telling
  18. sad
  19. Ananya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  20. showing
  21. showing
  22. angry
  23. Sahil’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  24. angry
  25. Tenzin beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  26. telling
  27. telling
  28. Saanvi gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  29. telling
  30. Saanvi’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  31. Farhan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  32. telling
  33. showing
  34. showing
  35. Diya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  36. Neel dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  37. hungry
  38. hungry
  39. bored
  40. Imran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”

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