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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 564 · 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 Saanvi is angry? (a) Saanvi counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Saanvi folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Saanvi was angry.
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is angry? (a) Kabir was angry. (b) Kabir stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Kabir hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is bored? (a) Sahil was bored. (b) Sahil counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Sahil licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan was really hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Priya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) bored
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Ishaan’s cheek. (b) Ishaan was sad. (c) Ishaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was really tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is cold? (a) Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Meera was cold. (c) Meera’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was really cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) scared (b) happy (c) sad
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is tired? (a) Yash’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Yash laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Yash was tired.
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is happy? (a) Maria laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Maria counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Maria was happy.
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is cold? (a) Dev was cold. (b) Dev’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Dev counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is sad? (a) Pooja was sad. (b) Pooja sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Pooja threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Arjun was scared. (b) Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Arjun kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) scared
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is cold? (a) Simran was cold. (b) Simran shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Tears filled Simran’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) angry
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is tired? (a) Joseph’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Joseph hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Joseph was tired.
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is sad? (a) Sneha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Sneha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Sneha was sad.
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is cold? (a) Pooja sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Pooja rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Pooja was cold.
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is bored? (a) Sahil was bored. (b) Sahil drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Sahil grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) sad
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is scared? (a) Riya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Riya was scared. (c) Riya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is bored? (a) Neel was bored. (b) Neel sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Neel’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) hungry
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) scared (b) happy (c) sad
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Zoya’s cheek.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) sad
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is tired? (a) Ishaan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Ishaan was tired. (c) Ishaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) hungry

Answer key

  1. Saanvi folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  2. Kabir stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  3. telling
  4. Sahil counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  5. telling
  6. telling
  7. showing
  8. bored
  9. A tear rolled slowly down Ishaan’s cheek.
  10. telling
  11. Meera’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  12. telling
  13. telling
  14. showing
  15. telling
  16. sad
  17. Yash’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  18. Maria laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  19. Dev’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  20. showing
  21. Pooja sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  22. Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  23. scared
  24. Simran shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  25. sad
  26. telling
  27. showing
  28. Joseph’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  29. Sneha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  30. Pooja rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  31. Sahil drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  32. happy
  33. Riya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  34. Neel sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  35. hungry
  36. happy
  37. sad
  38. Ishaan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  39. showing
  40. angry

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