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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 725 · 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.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) hungry (b) angry (c) cold
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) cold
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is scared? (a) Dev rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Dev was scared. (c) Dev gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is scared? (a) Vihaan was scared. (b) Vihaan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Vihaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) scared
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) scared
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is cold? (a) Priya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Priya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Priya was cold.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is bored? (a) Aarav kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Aarav could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Aarav was bored.
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan was bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is happy? (a) Rohan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Rohan was happy. (c) Rohan folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) tired (b) hungry (c) bored
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is tired? (a) Arjun sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Arjun was tired. (c) Arjun’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Fatima’s cheek.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) angry
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan was tired. (b) Rohan stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Rohan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is tired? (a) Sahil kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Sahil was tired. (c) Sahil rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun felt very tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) scared
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was really tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is happy? (a) Zoya was happy. (b) Zoya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Zoya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran felt very sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran was really bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is tired? (a) Yash rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Yash was tired. (c) Yash gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is scared? (a) Manav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Manav was scared. (c) Manav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha was tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is hungry? (a) Saanvi was hungry. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Saanvi’s cheek. (c) Saanvi’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) angry
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is bored? (a) Nisha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Nisha was bored. (c) Nisha sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is cold? (a) Yash drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Yash rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Yash was cold.
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is happy? (a) Tenzin laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Tenzin was happy. (c) Tenzin sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was really tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) scared (b) bored (c) angry
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Tenzin’s cheek.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) sad

Answer key

  1. showing
  2. showing
  3. cold
  4. bored
  5. Dev gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  6. showing
  7. showing
  8. Vihaan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  9. happy
  10. scared
  11. Priya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  12. Aarav kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  13. telling
  14. Rohan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  15. tired
  16. Arjun’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  17. sad
  18. Rohan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  19. Sahil rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  20. telling
  21. happy
  22. telling
  23. Zoya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  24. telling
  25. telling
  26. Yash rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  27. showing
  28. Manav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  29. telling
  30. Saanvi’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  31. angry
  32. showing
  33. Nisha sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  34. showing
  35. Yash rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  36. Tenzin laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  37. telling
  38. bored
  39. telling
  40. sad

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