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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 545 · 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?
    “Sahil gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is hungry? (a) Aryan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Aryan was hungry. (c) Tears filled Aryan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is tired? (a) Tara was tired. (b) Tara sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Tara dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun felt very bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is hungry? (a) Tara was hungry. (b) Tara’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Tara gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph felt very happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) angry
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is bored? (a) Tara was bored. (b) Tara’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Tara kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is angry? (a) Kavya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Kavya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Kavya was angry.
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is bored? (a) Maria was bored. (b) Maria laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Maria counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) tired (b) bored (c) sad
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) bored
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan felt very sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Tenzin’s cheek.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) happy
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun felt very scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was really hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was really angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is sad? (a) Ishaan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Ishaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Ishaan was sad.
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) cold
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is happy? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek. (b) Arjun laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Arjun was happy.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is angry? (a) Neel stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Neel was angry. (c) Neel’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) angry
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) happy
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) scared
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) bored
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) sad
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is hungry? (a) Aarav was hungry. (b) Aarav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Aarav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) happy
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was really sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is happy? (a) Ishaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Ishaan was happy. (c) Ishaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is cold? (a) Ishaan was cold. (b) Ishaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Ishaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is happy? (a) Meera was happy. (b) Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Meera gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was really tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria was happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) hungry
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is happy? (a) Imran was happy. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Imran’s cheek. (c) Imran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.

Answer key

  1. showing
  2. Aryan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  3. Tara dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  4. telling
  5. Tara gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  6. telling
  7. sad
  8. showing
  9. Tara kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  10. Kavya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  11. Maria counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  12. bored
  13. bored
  14. telling
  15. sad
  16. telling
  17. telling
  18. telling
  19. Ishaan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  20. showing
  21. cold
  22. Arjun laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  23. Neel stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  24. tired
  25. happy
  26. scared
  27. showing
  28. bored
  29. tired
  30. showing
  31. Aarav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  32. bored
  33. telling
  34. Ishaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  35. Ishaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  36. Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  37. telling
  38. telling
  39. happy
  40. Imran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.

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