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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 598 · 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.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) scared
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) scared (b) angry (c) hungry
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) tired (b) scared (c) happy
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is happy? (a) Nisha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Nisha was happy. (c) Nisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is cold? (a) Tara’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Tara was cold. (c) Tara beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is tired? (a) Dev was tired. (b) Dev’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Dev rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is angry? (a) Arjun’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Arjun kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Arjun was angry.
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) scared (b) bored (c) tired
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) angry
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is angry? (a) Fatima gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Fatima threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Fatima was angry.
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is bored? (a) Diya was bored. (b) Diya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is bored? (a) Kabir was bored. (b) Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Kabir counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is scared? (a) Joseph was scared. (b) Joseph’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Joseph threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) cold
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is scared? (a) Riya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Riya was scared. (c) Riya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash was really sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) scared
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is angry? (a) Rohan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Rohan was angry. (c) Rohan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) scared
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran was cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is bored? (a) Manav was bored. (b) Manav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Manav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was really bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is happy? (a) Meera was happy. (b) Meera rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is scared? (a) Aarav kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Aarav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Aarav was scared.
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) tired (b) scared (c) bored
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) sad
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) scared
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is bored? (a) Neel was bored. (b) Neel’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Neel counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) bored (b) scared (c) hungry
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) angry (b) scared (c) bored
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is cold? (a) Sneha beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Sneha was cold. (c) Sneha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.

Answer key

  1. sad
  2. angry
  3. happy
  4. showing
  5. Nisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  6. Tara’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  7. Dev’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  8. showing
  9. Arjun’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  10. telling
  11. bored
  12. tired
  13. Fatima threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  14. showing
  15. Diya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  16. Kabir counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  17. Joseph’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  18. cold
  19. showing
  20. telling
  21. Riya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  22. telling
  23. telling
  24. happy
  25. Rohan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  26. hungry
  27. telling
  28. Manav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  29. telling
  30. Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  31. Aarav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  32. bored
  33. showing
  34. cold
  35. bored
  36. Neel counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  37. showing
  38. scared
  39. bored
  40. Sneha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.

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