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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 8 · 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?
    “Rohan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) scared
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) happy
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha was really cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) scared (b) angry (c) happy
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is happy? (a) Manav was happy. (b) Manav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Manav beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) cold (b) tired (c) scared
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Rohan’s cheek.”     (a) hungry (b) angry (c) sad
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) cold (b) angry (c) scared
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is happy? (a) Tenzin was happy. (b) Tenzin grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Tenzin stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) scared
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was really happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) sad (b) cold (c) scared
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) scared
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) hungry
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) bored (b) hungry (c) sad
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is happy? (a) Vihaan was happy. (b) Tears filled Vihaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Vihaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is hungry? (a) Diya was hungry. (b) Diya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Diya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is angry? (a) Riya was angry. (b) Riya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Riya stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) scared
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) bored
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is angry? (a) Saanvi hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Saanvi folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Saanvi was angry.
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is sad? (a) Aryan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Tears filled Aryan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Aryan was sad.
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is cold? (a) Ananya was cold. (b) Ananya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Ananya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is sad? (a) Imran was sad. (b) Imran licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Imran sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is scared? (a) Farhan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Farhan was scared. (c) Farhan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) sad
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is happy? (a) Vihaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Vihaan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Vihaan was happy.
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) scared
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) bored
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Kabir’s cheek. (b) Kabir was sad. (c) Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) sad
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir felt very bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is happy? (a) Manav was happy. (b) Manav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Manav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria was really tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was really happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is tired? (a) Nisha was tired. (b) Nisha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Nisha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.

Answer key

  1. showing
  2. scared
  3. happy
  4. telling
  5. happy
  6. Manav beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  7. tired
  8. sad
  9. scared
  10. Tenzin grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  11. showing
  12. tired
  13. telling
  14. cold
  15. angry
  16. hungry
  17. sad
  18. Vihaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  19. Diya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  20. Riya stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  21. happy
  22. bored
  23. Saanvi folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  24. showing
  25. Tears filled Aryan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  26. Ananya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  27. Imran sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  28. Farhan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  29. angry
  30. Vihaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  31. happy
  32. showing
  33. happy
  34. A tear rolled slowly down Kabir’s cheek.
  35. sad
  36. telling
  37. Manav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  38. telling
  39. telling
  40. Nisha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.

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