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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 742 · 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?
    “Imran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) hungry (b) happy (c) scared
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya was happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is hungry? (a) Zoya was hungry. (b) Zoya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Zoya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran was really happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is happy? (a) Zoya was happy. (b) Zoya beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Zoya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) angry
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) cold (b) sad (c) happy
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is hungry? (a) Saanvi was hungry. (b) Saanvi’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Saanvi gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is sad? (a) Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Aarav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Aarav was sad.
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.”     (a) angry (b) cold (c) hungry
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was really happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) sad
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) sad (b) cold (c) angry
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is cold? (a) Joseph’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Joseph beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Joseph was cold.
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) tired
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is tired? (a) Imran was tired. (b) Imran’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Imran’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is hungry? (a) Joseph hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Joseph gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Joseph was hungry.
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) happy
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan felt very tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) tired
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is sad? (a) Tears filled Zoya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (b) Zoya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Zoya was sad.
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) angry
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) tired (b) angry (c) scared
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was really scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) bored (b) hungry (c) angry
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) hungry (b) angry (c) cold
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) scared
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) happy
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) bored
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is hungry? (a) Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Aarav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Aarav was hungry.
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is cold? (a) Imran shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Imran was cold. (c) Imran’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) scared (b) bored (c) tired
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is tired? (a) Imran was tired. (b) Imran gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Imran rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is scared? (a) Riya was scared. (b) Riya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Riya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is hungry? (a) Farhan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Farhan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Farhan was hungry.
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is hungry? (a) Nisha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Nisha was hungry. (c) Nisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.

Answer key

  1. happy
  2. telling
  3. Zoya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  4. telling
  5. Zoya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  6. angry
  7. cold
  8. Saanvi gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  9. Aarav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  10. cold
  11. telling
  12. cold
  13. telling
  14. angry
  15. Joseph’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  16. tired
  17. showing
  18. Imran’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  19. Joseph gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  20. bored
  21. telling
  22. tired
  23. Tears filled Zoya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  24. tired
  25. scared
  26. telling
  27. showing
  28. hungry
  29. cold
  30. happy
  31. happy
  32. showing
  33. bored
  34. Aarav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  35. Imran shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  36. scared
  37. Imran rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  38. Riya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  39. Farhan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  40. Nisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.

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