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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 79 · 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?
    “Maria felt very sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) cold
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) angry
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) scared
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is hungry? (a) Meera threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Meera was hungry. (c) Meera’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is bored? (a) Aisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Aisha sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Aisha was bored.
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin felt very angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) bored
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is sad? (a) Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Diya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Diya was sad.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is sad? (a) Tears filled Vihaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Vihaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Vihaan was sad.
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) tired (b) angry (c) sad
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is tired? (a) Priya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Priya was tired. (c) Priya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is sad? (a) Kabir stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Kabir was sad. (c) Tears filled Kabir’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) angry (b) bored (c) happy
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) cold
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is sad? (a) Arjun grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek. (c) Arjun was sad.
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is tired? (a) Manav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Manav was tired. (c) Manav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is angry? (a) Fatima was angry. (b) Fatima stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Fatima gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Priya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) happy
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) angry (b) cold (c) sad
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) scared
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is angry? (a) Aisha was angry. (b) Aisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Aisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is happy? (a) Priya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Priya was happy. (c) Priya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was really scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is angry? (a) Manav was angry. (b) Manav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Tears filled Manav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is hungry? (a) Vihaan was hungry. (b) Vihaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Vihaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) tired (b) bored (c) cold
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was really happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya felt very angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) angry
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is sad? (a) Kavya was sad. (b) Kavya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Tears filled Kavya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is cold? (a) Fatima’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Fatima laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Fatima was cold.
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) sad (b) cold (c) scared
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) cold
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is happy? (a) Kabir kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Kabir beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Kabir was happy.
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) cold

Answer key

  1. telling
  2. scared
  3. cold
  4. scared
  5. Meera’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  6. Aisha sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  7. telling
  8. telling
  9. showing
  10. scared
  11. Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  12. Tears filled Vihaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  13. sad
  14. Priya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  15. Tears filled Kabir’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  16. angry
  17. cold
  18. showing
  19. A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek.
  20. showing
  21. Manav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  22. Fatima stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  23. sad
  24. sad
  25. angry
  26. Aisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  27. Priya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  28. telling
  29. Manav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  30. Vihaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  31. cold
  32. telling
  33. telling
  34. cold
  35. Tears filled Kavya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  36. Fatima’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  37. scared
  38. scared
  39. Kabir beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  40. cold

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