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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 796 · 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.

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

Answer key

  1. telling
  2. showing
  3. happy
  4. angry
  5. Sahil’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  6. tired
  7. scared
  8. tired
  9. telling
  10. hungry
  11. Joseph shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  12. scared
  13. Saanvi’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  14. bored
  15. Aryan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  16. Manav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  17. hungry
  18. Maria’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  19. bored
  20. Aarav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  21. telling
  22. hungry
  23. showing
  24. telling
  25. scared
  26. Tara’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  27. Priya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  28. hungry
  29. showing
  30. showing
  31. tired
  32. Ananya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  33. scared
  34. bored
  35. telling
  36. Aisha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  37. Tears filled Neel’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  38. Tears filled Zoya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  39. Riya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  40. showing

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