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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 595 · 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 Sahil is angry? (a) Sahil was angry. (b) Sahil stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Sahil sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is hungry? (a) Dev kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Dev froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Dev was hungry.
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is scared? (a) Kabir’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Kabir was scared. (c) Kabir’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) scared
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is hungry? (a) Aisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Aisha was hungry. (c) Aisha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Kabir’s cheek.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) happy
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is happy? (a) Kavya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Kavya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Kavya was happy.
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) tired
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is tired? (a) Aryan was tired. (b) Aryan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Aryan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is sad? (a) Simran folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Simran was sad. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Simran’s cheek.
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) scared
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) cold
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) sad
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) hungry (b) happy (c) bored
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) sad
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is angry? (a) Ishaan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Ishaan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Ishaan was angry.
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is tired? (a) Yash was tired. (b) Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Yash could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) hungry (b) sad (c) cold
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi felt very scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is bored? (a) Maria kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Maria’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Maria was bored.
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is tired? (a) Nisha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Nisha was tired. (c) Nisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is scared? (a) Saanvi was scared. (b) Saanvi’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Saanvi’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) angry
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is happy? (a) Sahil was happy. (b) Sahil’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Sahil hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) scared (b) sad (c) angry
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) happy
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya felt very hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is sad? (a) Joseph was sad. (b) Joseph sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Joseph grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) sad
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is bored? (a) Rohan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) Rohan was bored. (c) Rohan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is sad? (a) Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Neel was sad. (c) Neel sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.”     (a) scared (b) sad (c) happy

Answer key

  1. Sahil stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  2. Dev kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  3. showing
  4. Kabir’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  5. scared
  6. Aisha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  7. sad
  8. Kavya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  9. tired
  10. telling
  11. Aryan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  12. A tear rolled slowly down Simran’s cheek.
  13. scared
  14. cold
  15. sad
  16. happy
  17. showing
  18. cold
  19. Ishaan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  20. showing
  21. Yash could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  22. cold
  23. telling
  24. Maria kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  25. Nisha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  26. showing
  27. Saanvi’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  28. showing
  29. sad
  30. Sahil hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  31. sad
  32. telling
  33. cold
  34. telling
  35. Joseph sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  36. hungry
  37. showing
  38. Rohan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  39. Neel sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  40. scared

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