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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 614 · 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?
    “Kabir’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) hungry (b) sad (c) tired
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) angry
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) bored
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) scared
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is sad? (a) Tears filled Fatima’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (b) Fatima sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Fatima was sad.
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) sad
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) cold (b) bored (c) happy
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is tired? (a) Tara was tired. (b) Tara’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Tara dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is scared? (a) Vihaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Vihaan was scared. (c) Vihaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is angry? (a) Sahil was angry. (b) Sahil threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Sahil sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Priya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was really happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is happy? (a) Pooja gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Pooja was happy. (c) Pooja laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is angry? (a) Rohan was angry. (b) Rohan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Rohan’s cheek.
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) bored (b) cold (c) scared
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is cold? (a) Fatima was cold. (b) Fatima rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Fatima kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan felt very scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is scared? (a) Tara hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Tara froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Tara was scared.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is tired? (a) Sneha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Sneha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Sneha was tired.
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is bored? (a) Tara rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Tara counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Tara was bored.
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is angry? (a) Neel hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Neel was angry. (c) Neel threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is hungry? (a) Manav licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Manav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Manav was hungry.
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Kavya’s cheek.”     (a) scared (b) sad (c) tired
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha felt very scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) angry (b) sad (c) scared
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) cold
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph felt very sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) tired (b) hungry (c) happy
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is angry? (a) Kavya was angry. (b) Kavya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) bored (b) hungry (c) cold
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) angry
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) sad
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) hungry (b) happy (c) tired
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is bored? (a) Rohan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Rohan was bored.

Answer key

  1. tired
  2. showing
  3. angry
  4. bored
  5. scared
  6. telling
  7. Tears filled Fatima’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  8. tired
  9. showing
  10. cold
  11. Tara dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  12. Vihaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  13. Sahil threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  14. showing
  15. showing
  16. telling
  17. Pooja laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  18. Rohan folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  19. cold
  20. Fatima rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  21. telling
  22. Tara froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  23. Sneha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  24. Tara counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  25. Neel threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  26. Manav licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  27. sad
  28. telling
  29. angry
  30. showing
  31. hungry
  32. telling
  33. hungry
  34. Kavya stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  35. showing
  36. cold
  37. bored
  38. sad
  39. tired
  40. Rohan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.

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