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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 594 · 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 feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) hungry
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Ananya’s cheek.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) tired
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is bored? (a) Tara could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (b) Tara was bored. (c) Tara kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is hungry? (a) Simran was hungry. (b) Simran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Simran’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is angry? (a) Vihaan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) Vihaan was angry. (c) Vihaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) scared
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) sad (b) angry (c) cold
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara felt very hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is happy? (a) Manav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Manav was happy. (c) Manav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is happy? (a) Aisha was happy. (b) Aisha folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Aisha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) tired
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav felt very bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) showing (b) telling
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan felt very hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) tired
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is happy? (a) Zoya was happy. (b) Zoya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Zoya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is bored? (a) Fatima was bored. (b) Fatima threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Fatima drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) hungry (b) sad (c) scared
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.”     (a) cold (b) tired (c) bored
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is angry? (a) Neel was angry. (b) Neel folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Neel’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Diya’s cheek. (b) Diya was sad. (c) Diya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) bored
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is sad? (a) Priya was sad. (b) Tears filled Priya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Priya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is scared? (a) Vihaan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Vihaan was scared. (c) Vihaan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is tired? (a) Pooja was tired. (b) Pooja dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Pooja sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash felt very hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) happy
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) tired (b) bored (c) scared
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is tired? (a) Aryan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Aryan was tired. (c) Aryan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) happy
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is happy? (a) Maria sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Maria laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Maria was happy.
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) cold (b) angry (c) bored
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.”     (a) hungry (b) angry (c) scared

Answer key

  1. hungry
  2. telling
  3. showing
  4. tired
  5. Tara kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  6. Simran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  7. Vihaan folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  8. scared
  9. angry
  10. telling
  11. showing
  12. Manav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  13. Aisha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  14. tired
  15. showing
  16. showing
  17. telling
  18. showing
  19. showing
  20. telling
  21. tired
  22. Zoya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  23. Fatima drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  24. scared
  25. cold
  26. Neel folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  27. A tear rolled slowly down Diya’s cheek.
  28. happy
  29. Tears filled Priya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  30. Vihaan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  31. Pooja dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  32. telling
  33. cold
  34. tired
  35. Aryan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  36. telling
  37. happy
  38. Maria laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  39. angry
  40. scared

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