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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 576 · 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.

NameDateTime takenScore ___ / 40
  1. 1.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was really sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was really sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Joseph’s cheek.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) cold
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash was bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is scared? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Kabir’s cheek. (b) Kabir was scared. (c) Kabir’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is hungry? (a) Dev froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Dev kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Dev was hungry.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is hungry? (a) Kabir’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Kabir threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Kabir was hungry.
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) scared
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) tired (b) scared (c) cold
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) bored (b) scared (c) angry
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is hungry? (a) Meera rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Meera was hungry. (c) Meera’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) scared (b) angry (c) cold
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is happy? (a) Saanvi was happy. (b) Saanvi hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Saanvi kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is scared? (a) Diya was scared. (b) Diya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Diya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was really happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is cold? (a) Kabir gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Kabir was cold. (c) Kabir’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya was bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran was scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima was really angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) cold
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is cold? (a) Farhan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Tears filled Farhan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Farhan was cold.
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) angry (b) sad (c) happy
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) sad
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is cold? (a) Simran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Simran’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Simran was cold.
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is scared? (a) Simran drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Simran’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Simran was scared.
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran was cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) bored
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is happy? (a) Dev was happy. (b) Tears filled Dev’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Dev hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) angry
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is bored? (a) Kabir’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Kabir was bored. (c) Kabir sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is angry? (a) Maria was angry. (b) Maria’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Maria could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is sad? (a) Arjun was sad. (b) Arjun kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Arjun’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) hungry
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is sad? (a) Kabir beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Kabir was sad. (c) Kabir’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) happy

Answer key

  1. telling
  2. telling
  3. sad
  4. telling
  5. Kabir’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  6. Dev kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  7. Kabir’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  8. cold
  9. showing
  10. scared
  11. scared
  12. Meera’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  13. angry
  14. Saanvi hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  15. Diya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  16. showing
  17. telling
  18. Kabir’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  19. telling
  20. telling
  21. telling
  22. cold
  23. Farhan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  24. angry
  25. tired
  26. Simran’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  27. Simran’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  28. telling
  29. bored
  30. Dev hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  31. scared
  32. telling
  33. Kabir sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  34. Maria’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  35. Arjun’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  36. showing
  37. telling
  38. sad
  39. Kabir’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  40. cold

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