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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 75 · 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?
    “Riya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) bored (b) hungry (c) cold
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is happy? (a) Saanvi grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Saanvi gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Saanvi was happy.
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara felt very tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) tired
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) cold (b) bored (c) tired
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is cold? (a) Kavya was cold. (b) Kavya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Kavya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya felt very happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is angry? (a) Yash rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Yash was angry. (c) Yash stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is sad? (a) Arjun sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Arjun was sad. (c) Arjun beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is angry? (a) Saanvi was angry. (b) Saanvi’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Saanvi threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is angry? (a) Aryan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Aryan was angry.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is angry? (a) Fatima counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Fatima was angry. (c) Fatima folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya felt very hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is bored? (a) Meera was bored. (b) Meera’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Meera counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is happy? (a) Neel was happy. (b) Neel drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is bored? (a) Diya was bored. (b) Diya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Diya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) cold (b) scared (c) happy
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is angry? (a) Nisha was angry. (b) Nisha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Nisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is scared? (a) Ananya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Ananya was scared. (c) Ananya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) happy
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is happy? (a) Diya was happy. (b) Diya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Diya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Saanvi’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was really bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera felt very happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was really cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is hungry? (a) Priya was hungry. (b) Priya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Priya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) scared
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is hungry? (a) Maria rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Maria was hungry. (c) Maria gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Kabir’s cheek.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) tired
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is bored? (a) Aryan was bored. (b) Aryan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is bored? (a) Diya was bored. (b) Diya beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Diya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.

Answer key

  1. hungry
  2. Saanvi grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  3. telling
  4. happy
  5. tired
  6. Kavya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  7. telling
  8. Yash stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  9. Arjun sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  10. Saanvi threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  11. Aryan folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  12. Fatima folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  13. showing
  14. telling
  15. Meera counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  16. Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  17. Diya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  18. happy
  19. showing
  20. Nisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  21. Ananya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  22. hungry
  23. Diya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  24. telling
  25. showing
  26. showing
  27. telling
  28. telling
  29. telling
  30. Priya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  31. scared
  32. showing
  33. showing
  34. Maria gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  35. telling
  36. telling
  37. showing
  38. tired
  39. Aryan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  40. Diya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.

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