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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 619 · 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?
    “Ishaan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) sad
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) cold
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is tired? (a) Yash was tired. (b) Yash dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Yash beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) scared
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) angry
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) scared
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) cold (b) tired (c) bored
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is cold? (a) Ishaan was cold. (b) Ishaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Ishaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) happy (b) bored (c) angry
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) angry (b) scared (c) hungry
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is sad? (a) Tears filled Joseph’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Joseph rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Joseph was sad.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is happy? (a) Sahil was happy. (b) Sahil’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Sahil grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) cold
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Rohan was tired. (c) Rohan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) angry
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is sad? (a) Zoya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Zoya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Zoya was sad.
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is angry? (a) Aisha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Aisha stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Aisha was angry.
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) bored
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is cold? (a) Saanvi folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Saanvi was cold. (c) Saanvi’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is scared? (a) Yash gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Yash kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Yash was scared.
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) scared (b) happy (c) tired
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) hungry (b) angry (c) happy
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria was angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is angry? (a) Fatima threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Fatima sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Fatima was angry.
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is hungry? (a) Sahil was hungry. (b) Sahil counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Sahil’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Aarav was happy. (c) Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) bored
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) bored (b) scared (c) happy
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is hungry? (a) Priya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Priya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Priya was hungry.
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is angry? (a) Aisha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Aisha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Aisha was angry.
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya felt very scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) bored
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel felt very angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) bored (b) cold (c) hungry

Answer key

  1. sad
  2. tired
  3. Yash dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  4. scared
  5. scared
  6. happy
  7. tired
  8. Ishaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  9. angry
  10. hungry
  11. Tears filled Joseph’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  12. Sahil grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  13. cold
  14. Rohan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  15. showing
  16. tired
  17. telling
  18. Zoya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  19. Aisha stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  20. bored
  21. Saanvi’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  22. Yash gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  23. tired
  24. happy
  25. telling
  26. Fatima threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  27. telling
  28. Sahil’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  29. Aarav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  30. showing
  31. sad
  32. showing
  33. bored
  34. Priya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  35. Aisha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  36. telling
  37. showing
  38. bored
  39. telling
  40. bored

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