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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 799 · 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 sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is scared? (a) Riya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Riya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Riya was scared.
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is hungry? (a) Rohan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Rohan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Rohan was hungry.
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is tired? (a) Diya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Diya was tired. (c) Diya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) scared
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav felt very cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) showing (b) telling
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is sad? (a) Yash’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Yash was sad. (c) Yash rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is sad? (a) Dev rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Dev was sad. (c) Dev’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) angry
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is scared? (a) Tenzin folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) Tenzin was scared. (c) Tenzin gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) tired (b) hungry (c) happy
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) hungry (b) angry (c) scared
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash was tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) happy
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is scared? (a) Meera was scared. (b) Meera froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Meera rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan was bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is scared? (a) Neel froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Neel was scared. (c) Neel could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is hungry? (a) Fatima’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Fatima was hungry. (c) Fatima gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) scared (b) angry (c) hungry
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is happy? (a) Diya beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Diya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Diya was happy.
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is happy? (a) Tears filled Simran’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (b) Simran was happy. (c) Simran laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was really bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima felt very cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) angry
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is cold? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Dev’s cheek. (b) Dev was cold. (c) Dev rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is scared? (a) Neel’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Neel was scared. (c) Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is sad? (a) Ishaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Ishaan was sad. (c) Ishaan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  36. 36.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 sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is bored? (a) Ishaan was bored. (b) Ishaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Ishaan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is hungry? (a) Aisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Aisha was hungry. (c) Aisha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is angry? (a) Dev shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Dev folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Dev was angry.

Answer key

  1. Riya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  2. Rohan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  3. Diya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  4. bored
  5. telling
  6. showing
  7. Yash’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  8. Dev’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  9. telling
  10. hungry
  11. Tenzin gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  12. happy
  13. scared
  14. telling
  15. tired
  16. showing
  17. Meera froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  18. telling
  19. telling
  20. telling
  21. Neel froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  22. Fatima gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  23. showing
  24. angry
  25. Diya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  26. Simran laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  27. showing
  28. telling
  29. telling
  30. angry
  31. Dev rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  32. telling
  33. Neel’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  34. Ishaan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  35. showing
  36. Aisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  37. showing
  38. Ishaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  39. Aisha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  40. Dev folded his arms and glared at his brother.

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