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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 806 · 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 feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) hungry
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) happy
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria was really cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is happy? (a) Tara was happy. (b) Tara sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Tara grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is angry? (a) Kabir’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Kabir was angry. (c) Kabir folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) scared
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is hungry? (a) Manav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Manav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Manav was hungry.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is tired? (a) Kavya was tired. (b) Kavya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Kavya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is scared? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Vihaan’s cheek. (b) Vihaan was scared. (c) Vihaan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima was really hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is cold? (a) Neel was cold. (b) Neel licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Neel’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is sad? (a) Pooja was sad. (b) Pooja’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Pooja’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is happy? (a) Meera’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Meera laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Meera was happy.
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Manav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) happy
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya felt very sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  22. 22.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 gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is cold? (a) Aarav was cold. (b) Aarav beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Aarav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is sad? (a) Dev rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Dev was sad. (c) Tears filled Dev’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) tired
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is angry? (a) Kabir was angry. (b) Kabir threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Kabir laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) showing (b) telling
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is scared? (a) Farhan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Farhan was scared. (c) Farhan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) tired (b) hungry (c) bored
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) hungry
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) hungry
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is cold? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Tenzin’s cheek. (b) Tenzin was cold. (c) Tenzin rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is tired? (a) Dev gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Dev dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Dev was tired.
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is scared? (a) Neel’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Neel was scared. (c) Neel sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Aarav was happy. (c) Aarav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) showing (b) telling

Answer key

  1. hungry
  2. showing
  3. happy
  4. telling
  5. telling
  6. showing
  7. Tara grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  8. Kabir folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  9. telling
  10. happy
  11. Manav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  12. Kavya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  13. showing
  14. Vihaan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  15. telling
  16. telling
  17. Neel’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  18. Pooja’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  19. Meera laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  20. sad
  21. telling
  22. Zoya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  23. showing
  24. Aarav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  25. Tears filled Dev’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  26. happy
  27. Kabir threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  28. showing
  29. showing
  30. Farhan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  31. bored
  32. bored
  33. scared
  34. showing
  35. Tenzin rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  36. Dev dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  37. Neel’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  38. Aarav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  39. showing
  40. showing

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