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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 678 · 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.

NameDateTime takenScore ___ / 40
  1. 1.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is happy? (a) Farhan was happy. (b) Farhan beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Farhan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun felt very sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Saanvi’s cheek. (b) Saanvi’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Saanvi was sad.
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) hungry (b) sad (c) angry
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria was angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is sad? (a) Kavya was sad. (b) Kavya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Kavya’s cheek.
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is scared? (a) Priya was scared. (b) Priya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Priya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) bored (b) scared (c) sad
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is angry? (a) Saanvi stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Saanvi’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Saanvi was angry.
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is happy? (a) Ishaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Ishaan was happy. (c) Ishaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was really happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) happy
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) happy
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) hungry
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) angry (b) tired (c) scared
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is hungry? (a) Ananya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Ananya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Ananya was hungry.
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is happy? (a) Nisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Nisha was happy. (c) Nisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) angry (b) tired (c) hungry
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is sad? (a) Saanvi kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Saanvi was sad. (c) Tears filled Saanvi’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was really happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is cold? (a) Kabir was cold. (b) Kabir’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Kabir’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) angry (b) scared (c) cold
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is hungry? (a) Dev counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Dev was hungry. (c) Dev kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is angry? (a) Rohan was angry. (b) Rohan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Rohan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) happy
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) scared (b) angry (c) happy
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was really happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) bored
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is bored? (a) Dev kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Dev was bored. (c) Dev’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is happy? (a) Tenzin beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Tenzin was happy. (c) Tenzin froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) cold (b) scared (c) angry
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is scared? (a) Saanvi was scared. (b) Saanvi’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Saanvi laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is tired? (a) Yash was tired. (b) Yash dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Yash’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) hungry

Answer key

  1. showing
  2. Farhan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  3. telling
  4. A tear rolled slowly down Saanvi’s cheek.
  5. sad
  6. telling
  7. showing
  8. telling
  9. A tear rolled slowly down Kavya’s cheek.
  10. Priya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  11. scared
  12. Saanvi stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  13. Ishaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  14. telling
  15. hungry
  16. happy
  17. tired
  18. scared
  19. Ananya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  20. Nisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  21. tired
  22. Tears filled Saanvi’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  23. telling
  24. telling
  25. Kabir’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  26. cold
  27. Dev kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  28. Rohan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  29. showing
  30. happy
  31. scared
  32. telling
  33. bored
  34. Dev kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  35. Tenzin beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  36. angry
  37. Saanvi’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  38. showing
  39. Yash dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  40. hungry

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