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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 801 · 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 Vihaan is happy? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Vihaan’s cheek. (b) Vihaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Vihaan was happy.
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is scared? (a) Tara shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Tara was scared. (c) Tara’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) telling (b) showing
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) cold
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is sad? (a) Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Aarav was sad. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Aarav’s cheek.
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is hungry? (a) Farhan was hungry. (b) Farhan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Farhan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) angry
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is scared? (a) Zoya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Zoya was scared. (c) Zoya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is hungry? (a) Diya was hungry. (b) Diya beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Diya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan was really happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera felt very bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is angry? (a) Tara stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Tara was angry. (c) Tara dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) sad
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) bored
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is happy? (a) Diya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Diya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Diya was happy.
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) scared
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is cold? (a) Arjun’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Arjun was cold. (c) Arjun sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is tired? (a) Dev was tired. (b) Dev could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Dev drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is scared? (a) Dev was scared. (b) Dev gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Dev’s cheek.
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is happy? (a) Simran was happy. (b) Simran gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Simran laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is scared? (a) Farhan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Farhan was scared. (c) Farhan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is angry? (a) Meera was angry. (b) Meera shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Meera stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was really tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) cold (b) bored (c) angry
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is happy? (a) Imran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Imran sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Imran was happy.
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) sad
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) happy
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) scared
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is tired? (a) Zoya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Zoya was tired. (c) Zoya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) hungry
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Saanvi’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) happy
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) tired
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is cold? (a) Farhan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Farhan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Farhan was cold.

Answer key

  1. Vihaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  2. Tara’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  3. showing
  4. cold
  5. A tear rolled slowly down Aarav’s cheek.
  6. Farhan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  7. hungry
  8. telling
  9. Zoya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  10. Diya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  11. showing
  12. telling
  13. telling
  14. Tara stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  15. sad
  16. happy
  17. Diya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  18. showing
  19. scared
  20. Arjun’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  21. telling
  22. Dev could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  23. Dev gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  24. Simran laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  25. Farhan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  26. Meera stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  27. telling
  28. bored
  29. showing
  30. Imran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  31. scared
  32. happy
  33. scared
  34. Zoya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  35. tired
  36. showing
  37. sad
  38. tired
  39. telling
  40. Farhan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.

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