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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 625 · 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?
    “Nisha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) cold
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is hungry? (a) Aryan was hungry. (b) Aryan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Aryan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav felt very cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is bored? (a) Aisha was bored. (b) Aisha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Aisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is happy? (a) Priya was happy. (b) Priya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Priya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is tired? (a) Sneha was tired. (b) Sneha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Sneha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya felt very sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) scared (b) angry (c) happy
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is hungry? (a) Sneha was hungry. (b) Sneha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Sneha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is sad? (a) Farhan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Farhan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Farhan was sad.
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) tired
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is bored? (a) Tenzin shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Tenzin drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Tenzin was bored.
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is hungry? (a) Ishaan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Ishaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Ishaan was hungry.
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was really tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is tired? (a) Vihaan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Vihaan was tired. (c) Vihaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is angry? (a) Meera was angry. (b) Meera grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Meera threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is tired? (a) Aarav folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) Aarav was tired. (c) Aarav dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel felt very angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) scared (b) sad (c) angry
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) bored
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is cold? (a) Diya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Diya was cold. (c) Diya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is happy? (a) Kavya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Kavya was happy. (c) Kavya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is bored? (a) Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Aarav was bored. (c) Aarav stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Pooja’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) cold
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is cold? (a) Meera drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Meera shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Meera was cold.
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) tired (b) bored (c) sad
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is angry? (a) Ishaan was angry. (b) Ishaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Ishaan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is angry? (a) Diya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Diya was angry.
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) hungry (b) angry (c) bored
  40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera felt very tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling

Answer key

  1. cold
  2. Aryan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  3. telling
  4. Aisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  5. Priya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  6. Sneha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  7. telling
  8. scared
  9. Sneha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  10. Farhan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  11. tired
  12. Tenzin drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  13. showing
  14. Ishaan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  15. telling
  16. Vihaan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  17. telling
  18. Meera threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  19. showing
  20. telling
  21. Aarav dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  22. telling
  23. telling
  24. scared
  25. showing
  26. angry
  27. telling
  28. Diya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  29. showing
  30. Kavya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  31. Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  32. sad
  33. showing
  34. Meera shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  35. bored
  36. Ishaan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  37. Diya folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  38. showing
  39. bored
  40. telling

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