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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 630 · 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?
    “Pooja’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) hungry
  2. 2.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’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) angry
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is happy? (a) Diya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Diya was happy. (c) Diya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is tired? (a) Aryan was tired. (b) Aryan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Aryan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is hungry? (a) Zoya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Zoya was hungry. (c) Zoya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is scared? (a) Pooja was scared. (b) Pooja gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Pooja beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) scared
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) angry (b) scared (c) sad
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Saanvi’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) angry
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan was happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) cold
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) scared (b) bored (c) sad
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was really sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is sad? (a) Kabir was sad. (b) Kabir could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Kabir’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is angry? (a) Vihaan stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Vihaan was angry. (c) Vihaan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Kavya’s cheek.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is tired? (a) Kabir could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Kabir stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Kabir was tired.
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is sad? (a) Tara grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Tara was sad. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Tara’s cheek.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is scared? (a) Ananya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Ananya was scared. (c) Ananya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is happy? (a) Tenzin grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Tenzin was happy. (c) Tenzin could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is happy? (a) Rohan was happy. (b) Rohan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is hungry? (a) Kabir gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Kabir kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Kabir was hungry.
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is scared? (a) Tears filled Joseph’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Joseph was scared.
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan was really happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is angry? (a) Rohan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Rohan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Rohan was angry.
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) scared
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) scared (b) bored (c) cold
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was really angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is tired? (a) Diya was tired. (b) Diya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Diya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Simran’s cheek.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) sad
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) sad
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) angry
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) angry
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) bored

Answer key

  1. tired
  2. Sneha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  3. sad
  4. Diya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  5. Aryan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  6. showing
  7. Zoya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  8. telling
  9. Pooja gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  10. hungry
  11. angry
  12. sad
  13. telling
  14. cold
  15. telling
  16. scared
  17. telling
  18. Kabir’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  19. Vihaan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  20. showing
  21. Kabir could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  22. A tear rolled slowly down Tara’s cheek.
  23. Ananya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  24. Tenzin grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  25. Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  26. Kabir kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  27. showing
  28. Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  29. telling
  30. Rohan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  31. sad
  32. showing
  33. cold
  34. telling
  35. Diya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  36. sad
  37. scared
  38. angry
  39. cold
  40. bored

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