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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 684 · 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 hungry? (a) Sneha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Sneha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Sneha was hungry.
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) tired
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is sad? (a) Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Ishaan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Ishaan was sad.
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) sad
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) angry
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) scared
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is hungry? (a) Zoya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Zoya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Zoya was hungry.
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is happy? (a) Joseph was happy. (b) Joseph beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Joseph’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is hungry? (a) Zoya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Zoya was hungry. (c) Zoya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is angry? (a) Fatima was angry. (b) Fatima sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Fatima threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir felt very scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is bored? (a) Imran was bored. (b) Imran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Imran sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was really angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is hungry? (a) Ishaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Ishaan was hungry. (c) Ishaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is hungry? (a) Kabir’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Kabir gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Kabir was hungry.
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is hungry? (a) Farhan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Farhan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Farhan was hungry.
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) scared (b) bored (c) tired
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is cold? (a) Pooja was cold. (b) Pooja grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Pooja rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is scared? (a) Imran’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Imran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Imran was scared.
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan felt very bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.”     (a) cold (b) sad (c) scared
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) hungry
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is angry? (a) Neel was angry. (b) Neel kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Neel threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is hungry? (a) Farhan was hungry. (b) Farhan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Farhan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is bored? (a) Priya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Priya was bored. (c) Priya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is happy? (a) Aisha was happy. (b) Aisha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Aisha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) angry (b) scared (c) hungry
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) angry

Answer key

  1. Sneha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  2. tired
  3. telling
  4. showing
  5. Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  6. sad
  7. telling
  8. bored
  9. scared
  10. showing
  11. Zoya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  12. telling
  13. Joseph beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  14. showing
  15. showing
  16. Zoya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  17. Fatima threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  18. telling
  19. showing
  20. Imran sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  21. telling
  22. Ishaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  23. Kabir gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  24. Farhan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  25. bored
  26. Pooja rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  27. Imran’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  28. telling
  29. showing
  30. showing
  31. cold
  32. showing
  33. sad
  34. Neel threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  35. Farhan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  36. Priya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  37. Aisha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  38. hungry
  39. showing
  40. angry

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