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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 57 · 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 Aisha is sad? (a) Aisha was sad. (b) Aisha stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Aisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is bored? (a) Diya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Diya was bored. (c) Diya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) bored (b) cold (c) tired
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) bored
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) tired
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is sad? (a) Saanvi was sad. (b) Saanvi rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Saanvi’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) angry (b) cold (c) bored
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) tired
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was really tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) bored (b) scared (c) hungry
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is happy? (a) Neel beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Neel’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Neel was happy.
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) sad (b) cold (c) angry
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is scared? (a) Ishaan was scared. (b) Ishaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Ishaan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Aryan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph was tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is tired? (a) Neel licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Neel was tired. (c) Neel’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is cold? (a) Sahil’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Sahil sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Sahil was cold.
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) hungry
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) sad
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is tired? (a) Priya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Priya was tired. (c) Priya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) tired
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) scared (b) happy (c) tired
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya felt very angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is bored? (a) Farhan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Farhan was bored. (c) Farhan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is happy? (a) Zoya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Zoya was happy. (c) Zoya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) hungry
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) bored
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) hungry (b) sad (c) scared
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Aisha’s cheek.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) scared
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is sad? (a) Maria sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Maria’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Maria was sad.
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) bored
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is angry? (a) Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Aarav was angry. (c) Aarav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya was really angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) telling (b) showing

Answer key

  1. Aisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  2. Diya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  3. cold
  4. bored
  5. bored
  6. Saanvi’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  7. cold
  8. tired
  9. telling
  10. telling
  11. showing
  12. showing
  13. hungry
  14. Neel beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  15. angry
  16. Ishaan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  17. showing
  18. telling
  19. Neel’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  20. Sahil’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  21. hungry
  22. happy
  23. telling
  24. Priya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  25. hungry
  26. tired
  27. telling
  28. Farhan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  29. Zoya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  30. happy
  31. bored
  32. hungry
  33. sad
  34. Maria sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  35. telling
  36. angry
  37. Aarav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  38. telling
  39. telling
  40. showing

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