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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 782 · 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?
    “Riya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is scared? (a) Yash’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Yash was scared. (c) Yash kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is bored? (a) Kavya was bored. (b) Kavya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is sad? (a) Dev gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Dev was sad. (c) Tears filled Dev’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is cold? (a) Meera sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Meera’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Meera was cold.
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is sad? (a) Manav was sad. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Manav’s cheek. (c) Manav could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) hungry
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is cold? (a) Farhan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Farhan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Farhan was cold.
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is hungry? (a) Maria hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Maria was hungry. (c) Maria kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is bored? (a) Yash was bored. (b) Yash’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Yash drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja felt very bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya felt very cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) bored
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) scared (b) sad (c) tired
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is cold? (a) Kabir’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Kabir beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Kabir was cold.
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya felt very scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Aarav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) bored
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is hungry? (a) Farhan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Farhan was hungry. (c) Farhan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) sad
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) scared
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is sad? (a) Sneha was sad. (b) Sneha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Sneha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is happy? (a) Joseph was happy. (b) Tears filled Joseph’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Joseph laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) scared
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is tired? (a) Kabir dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Kabir was tired. (c) Kabir kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is scared? (a) Nisha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Nisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Nisha was scared.
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash felt very hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan felt very tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) cold (b) tired (c) scared
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) cold (b) sad (c) bored
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is sad? (a) Dev was sad. (b) Dev’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Dev’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is happy? (a) Arjun was happy. (b) Arjun shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Arjun grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is scared? (a) Kavya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Kavya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Kavya was scared.
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) bored
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is bored? (a) Farhan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Farhan was bored. (c) Farhan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.

Answer key

  1. showing
  2. Yash’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  3. telling
  4. showing
  5. Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  6. Tears filled Dev’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  7. Meera’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  8. A tear rolled slowly down Manav’s cheek.
  9. happy
  10. Farhan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  11. Maria kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  12. Yash drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  13. telling
  14. telling
  15. bored
  16. scared
  17. telling
  18. Kabir’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  19. telling
  20. sad
  21. Farhan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  22. telling
  23. happy
  24. sad
  25. Sneha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  26. Joseph laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  27. happy
  28. Kabir dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  29. Nisha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  30. telling
  31. telling
  32. tired
  33. sad
  34. telling
  35. Dev’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  36. Arjun grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  37. showing
  38. Kavya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  39. tired
  40. Farhan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.

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