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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 521 · 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?
    “Tara froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) angry (b) hungry (c) tired
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja felt very hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is angry? (a) Ananya was angry. (b) Ananya beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Ananya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is cold? (a) Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Kavya was cold. (c) Kavya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is scared? (a) Farhan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Farhan was scared. (c) Farhan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran felt very angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is sad? (a) Tears filled Aarav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Aarav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Aarav was sad.
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) bored
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is scared? (a) Aarav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Aarav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Aarav was scared.
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) cold (b) angry (c) bored
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is sad? (a) Aisha stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Aisha was sad. (c) Aisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is hungry? (a) Tara beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Tara’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Tara was hungry.
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) hungry
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) angry (b) tired (c) scared
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is bored? (a) Sahil was bored. (b) Sahil licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Sahil drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is cold? (a) Nisha was cold. (b) Nisha folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Nisha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) bored
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is cold? (a) Arjun was cold. (b) Arjun’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Arjun counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya was bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is hungry? (a) Aarav kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Aarav was hungry. (c) Aarav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Yash’s cheek.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) scared
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) bored
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is sad? (a) Neel rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Neel’s cheek. (c) Neel was sad.
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) sad (b) cold (c) happy
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya felt very happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) bored
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) scared (b) sad (c) bored
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is cold? (a) Ishaan was cold. (b) Ishaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Ishaan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) hungry
  40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) telling (b) showing

Answer key

  1. showing
  2. tired
  3. telling
  4. telling
  5. telling
  6. Ananya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  7. Kavya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  8. Farhan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  9. telling
  10. telling
  11. showing
  12. Tears filled Aarav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  13. bored
  14. Aarav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  15. angry
  16. showing
  17. Aisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  18. Tara’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  19. hungry
  20. telling
  21. tired
  22. Sahil drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  23. showing
  24. Nisha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  25. happy
  26. Arjun’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  27. telling
  28. Aarav kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  29. sad
  30. showing
  31. tired
  32. A tear rolled slowly down Neel’s cheek.
  33. happy
  34. telling
  35. bored
  36. sad
  37. telling
  38. Ishaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  39. hungry
  40. showing

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