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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 752 · 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?
    “Tara’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) cold
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is angry? (a) Diya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Diya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Diya was angry.
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is bored? (a) Neel kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Neel was bored. (c) Neel kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav was happy. (b) Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Aarav kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is scared? (a) Sneha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Sneha folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Sneha was scared.
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) happy
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is bored? (a) Ishaan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Ishaan was bored. (c) Ishaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was really angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is angry? (a) Simran folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Simran shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Simran was angry.
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) scared
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is happy? (a) Neel beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Neel gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Neel was happy.
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is scared? (a) Ishaan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Ishaan was scared. (c) Ishaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is bored? (a) Diya was bored. (b) Diya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Diya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) bored
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is scared? (a) Tara was scared. (b) Tara shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Tara’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) cold (b) angry (c) hungry
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) sad
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is tired? (a) Arjun laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Arjun was tired. (c) Arjun could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) hungry
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) tired (b) angry (c) happy
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is hungry? (a) Pooja kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Pooja sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Pooja was hungry.
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is hungry? (a) Nisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Nisha was hungry. (c) Nisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Manav’s cheek. (b) Manav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Manav was sad.
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is cold? (a) Kabir was cold. (b) Kabir’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Kabir’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) cold
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) sad (b) cold (c) happy
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) hungry (b) sad (c) happy
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is cold? (a) Meera’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Meera sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Meera was cold.
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) sad

Answer key

  1. angry
  2. telling
  3. Diya folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  4. telling
  5. telling
  6. Neel kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  7. Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  8. Sneha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  9. cold
  10. Ishaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  11. telling
  12. Simran folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  13. happy
  14. Neel beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  15. Ishaan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  16. Diya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  17. telling
  18. showing
  19. angry
  20. Tara’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  21. hungry
  22. sad
  23. Arjun could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  24. tired
  25. angry
  26. Pooja kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  27. Nisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  28. showing
  29. telling
  30. A tear rolled slowly down Manav’s cheek.
  31. showing
  32. telling
  33. Kabir’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  34. happy
  35. showing
  36. happy
  37. telling
  38. happy
  39. Meera’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  40. tired

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