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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 636 · 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 Arjun is happy? (a) Arjun was happy. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek. (c) Arjun beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) angry (b) hungry (c) scared
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) cold (b) sad (c) tired
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is hungry? (a) Arjun’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Arjun was hungry. (c) Arjun licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) cold (b) angry (c) hungry
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Pooja’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) hungry
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) cold
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash was really cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was really cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is scared? (a) Yash’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Yash was scared. (c) Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is scared? (a) Ishaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Ishaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Ishaan was scared.
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) tired (b) hungry (c) scared
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Rohan stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Rohan was tired.
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) bored
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) scared
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is hungry? (a) Dev gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Dev was hungry. (c) Dev hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was really angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is angry? (a) Saanvi was angry. (b) Saanvi rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Saanvi folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is hungry? (a) Tara’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Tara’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Tara was hungry.
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is sad? (a) Arjun rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Arjun’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Arjun was sad.
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) cold
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was really angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) sad
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) scared
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is cold? (a) Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Neel rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Neel was cold.
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is angry? (a) Joseph counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Joseph was angry. (c) Joseph folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) bored (b) angry (c) happy
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is bored? (a) Farhan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Farhan was bored. (c) Farhan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria was really bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan was happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is scared? (a) Kabir was scared. (b) Kabir gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Kabir beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is happy? (a) Diya was happy. (b) Diya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Diya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) showing (b) telling

Answer key

  1. Arjun beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  2. showing
  3. scared
  4. sad
  5. Arjun licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  6. hungry
  7. sad
  8. cold
  9. telling
  10. showing
  11. telling
  12. Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  13. showing
  14. Ishaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  15. hungry
  16. Rohan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  17. showing
  18. bored
  19. showing
  20. sad
  21. Dev gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  22. telling
  23. Saanvi folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  24. Tara’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  25. Arjun’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  26. sad
  27. telling
  28. hungry
  29. happy
  30. Neel rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  31. showing
  32. Joseph folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  33. showing
  34. angry
  35. Farhan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  36. telling
  37. telling
  38. Kabir gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  39. Diya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  40. showing

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