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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 739 · 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?
    “Farhan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) sad
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is happy? (a) Meera was happy. (b) Meera grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Meera rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Yash’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) hungry (b) angry (c) sad
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) angry (b) scared (c) sad
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is cold? (a) Neel laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Neel’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Neel was cold.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is angry? (a) Dev threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Dev was angry. (c) Dev’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was really angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) bored
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is bored? (a) Saanvi stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Saanvi was bored. (c) Saanvi counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is hungry? (a) Simran gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Simran was hungry. (c) Simran’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is scared? (a) Pooja froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Pooja was scared. (c) Pooja beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) angry
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) cold
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is sad? (a) Kabir’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Kabir was sad. (c) Tears filled Kabir’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is tired? (a) Tara’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Tara was tired. (c) Tara dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) sad
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is hungry? (a) Farhan was hungry. (b) Farhan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Farhan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is angry? (a) Sahil was angry. (b) Sahil counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Sahil’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is scared? (a) Pooja threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Pooja was scared. (c) Pooja’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) happy
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) bored
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is bored? (a) Vihaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Vihaan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Vihaan was bored.
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is sad? (a) Sneha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Sneha was sad. (c) Sneha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) bored (b) cold (c) happy
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Rohan was tired. (c) Rohan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is happy? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Dev’s cheek. (b) Dev beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Dev was happy.
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) cold
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) scared
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is bored? (a) Tara kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Tara was bored. (c) Tara’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is tired? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Manav’s cheek. (b) Manav dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Manav was tired.

Answer key

  1. hungry
  2. Meera grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  3. sad
  4. telling
  5. angry
  6. Neel’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  7. Dev threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  8. telling
  9. bored
  10. Saanvi counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  11. Simran’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  12. Pooja froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  13. angry
  14. showing
  15. tired
  16. showing
  17. Tears filled Kabir’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  18. Tara dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  19. happy
  20. telling
  21. Farhan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  22. Sahil’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  23. Pooja’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  24. tired
  25. bored
  26. Vihaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  27. showing
  28. Sneha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  29. showing
  30. cold
  31. telling
  32. Rohan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  33. showing
  34. Dev beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  35. cold
  36. scared
  37. Tara kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  38. telling
  39. showing
  40. Manav dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.

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