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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 571 · 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 Tenzin is scared? (a) Tenzin froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Tenzin was scared. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Tenzin’s cheek.
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) sad (b) cold (c) bored
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is scared? (a) Aryan beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Aryan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Aryan was scared.
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Maria’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is sad? (a) Rohan was sad. (b) Rohan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) hungry
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan felt very tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) tired (b) bored (c) happy
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) cold (b) scared (c) bored
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) bored
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is happy? (a) Joseph was happy. (b) Joseph licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Joseph beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is angry? (a) Kabir threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Kabir kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Kabir was angry.
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is bored? (a) Vihaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Vihaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Vihaan was bored.
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is cold? (a) Vihaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Vihaan was cold. (c) Vihaan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya felt very sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is scared? (a) Rohan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Rohan was scared. (c) Rohan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is cold? (a) Sahil rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Sahil was cold. (c) Sahil’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) scared
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is hungry? (a) Riya was hungry. (b) Riya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Riya stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) sad
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is bored? (a) Farhan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Farhan was bored. (c) Farhan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is cold? (a) Arjun was cold. (b) Arjun’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Arjun kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) tired
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is hungry? (a) Diya was hungry. (b) Diya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Diya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev felt very angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is scared? (a) Tara gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Tara was scared. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Tara’s cheek.
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) hungry
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is sad? (a) Yash was sad. (b) Yash’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Yash’s cheek.
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) bored (b) cold (c) sad
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing

Answer key

  1. Tenzin froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  2. cold
  3. Aryan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  4. showing
  5. showing
  6. telling
  7. Rohan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  8. sad
  9. telling
  10. showing
  11. tired
  12. telling
  13. bored
  14. showing
  15. telling
  16. bored
  17. telling
  18. Joseph beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  19. Kabir threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  20. Vihaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  21. Vihaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  22. telling
  23. showing
  24. Rohan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  25. Sahil rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  26. angry
  27. Riya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  28. sad
  29. Farhan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  30. Arjun’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  31. showing
  32. angry
  33. Diya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  34. telling
  35. Tara gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  36. sad
  37. A tear rolled slowly down Yash’s cheek.
  38. sad
  39. showing
  40. telling

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