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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 784 · 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?
    “Saanvi’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) angry (b) cold (c) sad
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) happy
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is happy? (a) Rohan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Rohan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Rohan was happy.
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) scared (b) angry (c) sad
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Diya’s cheek.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) scared
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is bored? (a) Neel kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Neel rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Neel was bored.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is scared? (a) Farhan was scared. (b) Farhan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Farhan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is angry? (a) Diya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Diya was angry. (c) Diya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) hungry
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) scared
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran was cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is angry? (a) Tenzin drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Tenzin stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Tenzin was angry.
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) scared (b) happy (c) bored
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) hungry (b) angry (c) cold
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is bored? (a) Nisha drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Nisha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Nisha was bored.
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) angry (b) cold (c) tired
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is happy? (a) Kabir was happy. (b) Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Kabir rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) angry (b) scared (c) hungry
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is angry? (a) Kavya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Kavya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Kavya was angry.
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph felt very angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was really bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) tired
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) tired
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) scared (b) bored (c) happy
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Farhan’s cheek.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) happy
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is scared? (a) Saanvi’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Saanvi was scared. (c) Saanvi froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) hungry
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is sad? (a) Maria laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Maria was sad. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Maria’s cheek.
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is happy? (a) Maria was happy. (b) Maria’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Maria grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is sad? (a) Kabir shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Kabir’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Kabir was sad.
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is bored? (a) Rohan was bored. (b) Rohan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Rohan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) happy
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is angry? (a) Rohan stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Rohan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Rohan was angry.
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is cold? (a) Sneha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Sneha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Sneha was cold.

Answer key

  1. sad
  2. happy
  3. Rohan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  4. angry
  5. sad
  6. Neel kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  7. Farhan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  8. Diya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  9. sad
  10. showing
  11. scared
  12. telling
  13. Tenzin stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  14. bored
  15. angry
  16. Nisha drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  17. showing
  18. angry
  19. Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  20. hungry
  21. Kavya folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  22. showing
  23. telling
  24. telling
  25. telling
  26. tired
  27. tired
  28. happy
  29. sad
  30. Saanvi froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  31. hungry
  32. A tear rolled slowly down Maria’s cheek.
  33. Maria grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  34. showing
  35. Kabir’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  36. Rohan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  37. tired
  38. showing
  39. Rohan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  40. Sneha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.

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