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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 661 · 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 Sneha is bored? (a) Sneha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Sneha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Sneha was bored.
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was really tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) angry
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) tired (b) angry (c) happy
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) cold (b) tired (c) hungry
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is scared? (a) Dev gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Dev was scared. (c) Dev’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is tired? (a) Aisha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Aisha stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Aisha was tired.
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) scared
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev felt very cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav was happy. (b) Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Aarav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is hungry? (a) Ishaan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) Ishaan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Ishaan was hungry.
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is hungry? (a) Imran rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Imran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Imran was hungry.
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is angry? (a) Farhan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Farhan was angry. (c) Farhan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) angry (b) tired (c) cold
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash felt very hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) tired (b) angry (c) sad
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav felt very hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) scared
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) angry (b) cold (c) scared
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) scared
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is bored? (a) Ishaan was bored. (b) Ishaan stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Ishaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is sad? (a) Ishaan was sad. (b) Ishaan stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Ishaan’s cheek.
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is hungry? (a) Pooja licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Pooja was hungry. (c) Pooja grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is tired? (a) Dev was tired. (b) Dev gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Dev dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) cold
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) scared
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) tired
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is cold? (a) Meera was cold. (b) Meera’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Meera grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is hungry? (a) Arjun licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Arjun’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Arjun was hungry.
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Rohan was tired. (c) Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is sad? (a) Meera was sad. (b) Meera’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Meera sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is cold? (a) Manav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Manav was cold. (c) Manav rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) sad

Answer key

  1. Sneha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  2. telling
  3. telling
  4. scared
  5. angry
  6. cold
  7. telling
  8. Dev’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  9. Aisha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  10. tired
  11. telling
  12. Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  13. Ishaan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  14. Imran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  15. Farhan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  16. showing
  17. cold
  18. telling
  19. showing
  20. angry
  21. telling
  22. scared
  23. angry
  24. scared
  25. Ishaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  26. telling
  27. A tear rolled slowly down Ishaan’s cheek.
  28. Pooja licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  29. Dev dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  30. telling
  31. hungry
  32. hungry
  33. bored
  34. Meera’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  35. Arjun licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  36. Rohan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  37. Meera’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  38. Manav rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  39. telling
  40. happy

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