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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 803 · 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?
    “Farhan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is hungry? (a) Kabir was hungry. (b) Kabir’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Kabir beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is tired? (a) Arjun hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Arjun’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Arjun was tired.
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) scared
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is angry? (a) Kavya was angry. (b) Kavya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Kavya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is tired? (a) Kabir dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Kabir was tired. (c) Kabir froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is hungry? (a) Riya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Riya was hungry. (c) Riya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is bored? (a) Simran’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Simran sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Simran was bored.
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is hungry? (a) Kavya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Kavya was hungry. (c) Kavya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is angry? (a) Aisha was angry. (b) Aisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Aisha folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) cold
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was really angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is happy? (a) Maria was happy. (b) Maria beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Maria’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is hungry? (a) Imran was hungry. (b) Tears filled Imran’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Imran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Imran’s cheek.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) sad
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was really happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is cold? (a) Dev’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Dev was cold. (c) Dev shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was really cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Nisha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) hungry
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) tired (b) bored (c) angry
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) bored (b) hungry (c) sad
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun felt very hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) happy
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) angry
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) hungry
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is cold? (a) Riya was cold. (b) Riya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Riya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is tired? (a) Dev was tired. (b) Dev rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Dev’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is sad? (a) Nisha was sad. (b) Nisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Nisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) hungry
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) angry
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is scared? (a) Meera’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Meera was scared. (c) Meera licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is sad? (a) Tears filled Aarav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Aarav was sad. (c) Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) sad

Answer key

  1. showing
  2. Kabir’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  3. Arjun’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  4. sad
  5. Kavya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  6. Kabir dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  7. Riya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  8. Simran sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  9. Kavya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  10. telling
  11. showing
  12. Aisha folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  13. telling
  14. hungry
  15. telling
  16. Maria beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  17. Imran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  18. telling
  19. sad
  20. showing
  21. showing
  22. telling
  23. Dev shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  24. telling
  25. sad
  26. bored
  27. hungry
  28. telling
  29. bored
  30. angry
  31. tired
  32. Riya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  33. Dev’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  34. Nisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  35. bored
  36. bored
  37. Meera’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  38. Tears filled Aarav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  39. telling
  40. tired

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