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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 652 · 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 Dev is hungry? (a) Dev’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Dev was hungry. (c) Dev licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) sad
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is happy? (a) Sneha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Sneha stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Sneha was happy.
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) scared
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is angry? (a) Priya was angry. (b) Priya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Priya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is bored? (a) Saanvi’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Saanvi was bored. (c) Saanvi drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) scared
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is scared? (a) Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Joseph’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Joseph was scared.
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is scared? (a) Aarav was scared. (b) Aarav stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Aarav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) scared
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is sad? (a) Arjun’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Arjun was sad. (c) Arjun’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is bored? (a) Neel was bored. (b) Neel sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Neel rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) hungry
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) hungry (b) happy (c) cold
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is scared? (a) Sahil’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Sahil rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Sahil was scared.
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is happy? (a) Dev counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Dev was happy. (c) Dev hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) bored
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is angry? (a) Manav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Manav was angry. (c) Manav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is bored? (a) Kavya was bored. (b) Kavya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Kavya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is scared? (a) Kabir stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Kabir froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Kabir was scared.
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) sad
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran was really cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is sad? (a) Rohan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Rohan’s cheek. (c) Rohan was sad.
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) angry
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) tired (b) angry (c) sad
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is scared? (a) Ananya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Ananya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Ananya was scared.
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) hungry

Answer key

  1. Dev licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  2. sad
  3. Sneha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  4. hungry
  5. Priya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  6. Saanvi drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  7. showing
  8. happy
  9. Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  10. Aarav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  11. telling
  12. tired
  13. showing
  14. Arjun’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  15. showing
  16. showing
  17. Neel sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  18. bored
  19. happy
  20. Sahil’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  21. showing
  22. Dev hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  23. angry
  24. Manav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  25. Kavya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  26. telling
  27. Kabir froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  28. showing
  29. showing
  30. tired
  31. telling
  32. A tear rolled slowly down Rohan’s cheek.
  33. angry
  34. telling
  35. showing
  36. showing
  37. showing
  38. tired
  39. Ananya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  40. tired

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