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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 63 · 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 Kavya is happy? (a) Kavya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Kavya was happy. (c) Kavya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) bored (b) hungry (c) sad
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.”     (a) scared (b) angry (c) hungry
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Saanvi’s cheek.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is sad? (a) Riya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Riya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Riya was sad.
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) cold (b) tired (c) sad
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is happy? (a) Farhan beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Farhan was happy. (c) Farhan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is hungry? (a) Rohan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Rohan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Rohan was hungry.
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Neel’s cheek.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) hungry
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Manav’s cheek.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) sad
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) bored
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) tired
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is bored? (a) Farhan was bored. (b) Farhan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Farhan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) cold
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) hungry (b) happy (c) scared
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is happy? (a) Saanvi’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Saanvi was happy. (c) Saanvi hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) cold (b) scared (c) hungry
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is bored? (a) Saanvi’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Saanvi kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Saanvi was bored.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is bored? (a) Ishaan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Ishaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Ishaan was bored.
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is sad? (a) Arjun gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Arjun was sad. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek.
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) cold
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha was really hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) sad
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is hungry? (a) Sahil kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Sahil’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Sahil was hungry.
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is sad? (a) Ananya was sad. (b) Ananya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Ananya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is sad? (a) Kavya was sad. (b) Kavya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Kavya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) angry
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is scared? (a) Joseph was scared. (b) Joseph counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Joseph’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) bored (b) cold (c) sad
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is cold? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Saanvi’s cheek. (b) Saanvi was cold. (c) Saanvi’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is cold? (a) Aryan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Aryan was cold. (c) Aryan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is cold? (a) Joseph was cold. (b) Joseph shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Joseph froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) tired (b) scared (c) bored

Answer key

  1. Kavya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  2. telling
  3. bored
  4. scared
  5. showing
  6. Riya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  7. tired
  8. Farhan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  9. Rohan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  10. sad
  11. sad
  12. bored
  13. tired
  14. Farhan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  15. cold
  16. showing
  17. hungry
  18. showing
  19. Saanvi hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  20. hungry
  21. telling
  22. Saanvi kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  23. Ishaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  24. A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek.
  25. showing
  26. showing
  27. bored
  28. telling
  29. cold
  30. Sahil kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  31. Ananya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  32. Kavya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  33. angry
  34. Joseph’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  35. cold
  36. showing
  37. Saanvi’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  38. Aryan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  39. Joseph shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  40. bored

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