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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 701 · 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 Manav is sad? (a) Manav was sad. (b) Manav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Manav could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is sad? (a) Manav was sad. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Manav’s cheek. (c) Manav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Sneha’s cheek.”     (a) angry (b) tired (c) sad
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya felt very sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was really cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) cold
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) bored
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is happy? (a) Manav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Manav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Manav was happy.
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is scared? (a) Saanvi’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Saanvi was scared. (c) Saanvi’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is hungry? (a) Tara was hungry. (b) Tara beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Tara licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is angry? (a) Aarav kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Aarav folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Aarav was angry.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is scared? (a) Farhan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Farhan was scared. (c) Farhan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) sad
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is happy? (a) Yash hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Yash shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Yash was happy.
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) happy
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) angry (b) scared (c) tired
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is angry? (a) Sahil was angry. (b) Sahil’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Sahil shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) angry
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is angry? (a) Joseph laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Joseph folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Joseph was angry.
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was really angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) bored (b) hungry (c) happy
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is hungry? (a) Saanvi froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Saanvi’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Saanvi was hungry.
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) sad
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is sad? (a) Manav was sad. (b) Manav beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Manav sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is happy? (a) Tara beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Tara was happy. (c) Tara sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) hungry
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) angry (b) cold (c) hungry
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha was scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Arjun laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Arjun was scared. (c) Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) hungry
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) bored
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) happy
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) angry (b) tired (c) bored
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) bored
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is hungry? (a) Neel was hungry. (b) Neel folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Neel kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is cold? (a) Ananya was cold. (b) Ananya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Ananya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is cold? (a) Tenzin shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Tenzin counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Tenzin was cold.

Answer key

  1. Manav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  2. A tear rolled slowly down Manav’s cheek.
  3. sad
  4. telling
  5. telling
  6. happy
  7. tired
  8. Manav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  9. Saanvi’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  10. Tara licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  11. Aarav folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  12. Farhan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  13. sad
  14. Yash hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  15. cold
  16. tired
  17. Sahil’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  18. angry
  19. Joseph folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  20. telling
  21. hungry
  22. Saanvi’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  23. telling
  24. cold
  25. Manav sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  26. Tara beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  27. showing
  28. hungry
  29. cold
  30. telling
  31. Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  32. scared
  33. telling
  34. tired
  35. happy
  36. bored
  37. bored
  38. Neel kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  39. Ananya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  40. Tenzin shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.

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