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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 681 · 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 Kavya is tired? (a) Kavya was tired. (b) Kavya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Kavya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is angry? (a) Farhan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Farhan was angry. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Farhan’s cheek.
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Arjun froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Arjun was scared. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek.
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) scared
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Arjun counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Arjun was scared.
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) angry
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Rohan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) cold
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is cold? (a) Maria was cold. (b) Maria sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Maria’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) happy
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is hungry? (a) Riya was hungry. (b) Tears filled Riya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Riya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) showing (b) telling
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is tired? (a) Vihaan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Vihaan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Vihaan was tired.
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Arjun grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Arjun was scared. (c) Arjun gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Ishaan’s cheek. (b) Ishaan was sad. (c) Ishaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is scared? (a) Pooja was scared. (b) Pooja froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Pooja’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) hungry
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Nisha’s cheek.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) angry
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) tired
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is sad? (a) Kabir kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Kabir’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Kabir was sad.
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is cold? (a) Sneha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Sneha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Sneha was cold.
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) scared (b) sad (c) angry
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha felt very sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) hungry
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) angry (b) tired (c) happy
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) sad
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is angry? (a) Ananya was angry. (b) Ananya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Ananya folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is sad? (a) Maria rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Maria was sad. (c) Tears filled Maria’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is sad? (a) Aryan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Aryan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Aryan was sad.
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) happy
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is cold? (a) Vihaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Vihaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Vihaan was cold.
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) scared
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is happy? (a) Zoya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Zoya was happy. (c) Zoya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.

Answer key

  1. Kavya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  2. Farhan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  3. telling
  4. Arjun froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  5. telling
  6. telling
  7. scared
  8. telling
  9. Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  10. cold
  11. sad
  12. Maria’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  13. happy
  14. Riya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  15. showing
  16. Vihaan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  17. Arjun gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  18. A tear rolled slowly down Ishaan’s cheek.
  19. Pooja froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  20. telling
  21. hungry
  22. sad
  23. scared
  24. showing
  25. Kabir’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  26. Sneha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  27. angry
  28. telling
  29. tired
  30. showing
  31. angry
  32. telling
  33. happy
  34. Ananya folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  35. Tears filled Maria’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  36. Aryan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  37. bored
  38. Vihaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  39. scared
  40. Zoya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.

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