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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 669 · 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 Aarav is bored? (a) Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Aarav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Aarav was bored.
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is bored? (a) Farhan was bored. (b) Farhan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Farhan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is cold? (a) Sahil’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Sahil was cold. (c) Sahil’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) angry (b) hungry (c) sad
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is angry? (a) Priya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) A tear rolled slowly down Priya’s cheek. (c) Priya was angry.
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara felt very hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is angry? (a) Sneha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Sneha was angry. (c) Sneha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) tired (b) angry (c) bored
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Zoya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) scared
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) scared
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was really cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is bored? (a) Imran could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Imran was bored. (c) Imran drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) angry
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is hungry? (a) Kabir was hungry. (b) Kabir stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Kabir kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is happy? (a) Simran froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Simran beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Simran was happy.
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) hungry
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) tired
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is happy? (a) Kavya was happy. (b) Kavya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Kavya’s cheek.
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is happy? (a) Rohan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Rohan was happy. (c) Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is cold? (a) Tara was cold. (b) Tara rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Tara hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Joseph’s cheek.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) cold
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was really sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is sad? (a) Yash was sad. (b) Yash laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Yash sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) angry
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is angry? (a) Dev threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Dev was angry. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Dev’s cheek.
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is tired? (a) Meera rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Meera was tired. (c) Meera’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) hungry
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) happy
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) scared (b) bored (c) tired
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) tired

Answer key

  1. Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  2. Farhan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  3. Sahil’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  4. angry
  5. Priya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  6. telling
  7. Sneha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  8. telling
  9. bored
  10. sad
  11. scared
  12. telling
  13. Imran drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  14. bored
  15. Kabir kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  16. telling
  17. Simran beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  18. telling
  19. hungry
  20. tired
  21. Kavya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  22. telling
  23. Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  24. Tara rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  25. showing
  26. showing
  27. happy
  28. telling
  29. Yash sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  30. angry
  31. Dev threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  32. showing
  33. showing
  34. Meera rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  35. showing
  36. showing
  37. hungry
  38. happy
  39. bored
  40. bored

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