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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 714 · 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 feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) angry (b) cold (c) scared
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Tara’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) sad
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) tired
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is bored? (a) Imran froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Imran kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Imran was bored.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav was happy. (b) Aarav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Aarav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Aryan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) hungry (b) sad (c) cold
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was really hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is hungry? (a) Tara beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Tara gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Tara was hungry.
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Riya’s cheek. (b) Riya was sad. (c) Riya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Arjun froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Arjun could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Arjun was scared.
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) cold (b) sad (c) scared
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was really tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is happy? (a) Priya was happy. (b) Priya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Priya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) tired (b) hungry (c) bored
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Arjun’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) scared (b) sad (c) tired
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is tired? (a) Pooja rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Pooja counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Pooja was tired.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is tired? (a) Ishaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Ishaan was tired. (c) Ishaan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is happy? (a) Rohan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Rohan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Rohan was happy.
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is cold? (a) Diya was cold. (b) Diya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Diya folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is hungry? (a) Manav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Manav was hungry. (c) Manav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is cold? (a) Sahil’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Sahil rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Sahil was cold.
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) sad (b) cold (c) happy
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is bored? (a) Arjun was bored. (b) Arjun counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Arjun’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is sad? (a) Simran shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Simran’s cheek. (c) Simran was sad.
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is scared? (a) Meera was scared. (b) Meera folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Meera gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi felt very angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was really angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is scared? (a) Yash was scared. (b) Yash’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Yash’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is scared? (a) Maria could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (b) Maria’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Maria was scared.
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) scared (b) angry (c) hungry
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) bored

Answer key

  1. angry
  2. showing
  3. tired
  4. showing
  5. tired
  6. Imran kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  7. Aarav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  8. sad
  9. telling
  10. Tara gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  11. A tear rolled slowly down Riya’s cheek.
  12. Arjun froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  13. showing
  14. sad
  15. showing
  16. showing
  17. telling
  18. Priya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  19. bored
  20. telling
  21. sad
  22. Pooja rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  23. Ishaan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  24. Rohan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  25. Diya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  26. Manav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  27. telling
  28. Sahil rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  29. happy
  30. showing
  31. Arjun counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  32. A tear rolled slowly down Simran’s cheek.
  33. telling
  34. Meera gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  35. telling
  36. telling
  37. Yash’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  38. Maria’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  39. angry
  40. bored

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