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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 809 · 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 Maria is hungry? (a) Maria was hungry. (b) Maria grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Maria gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) happy
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) angry (b) tired (c) sad
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is cold? (a) Pooja’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Pooja was cold. (c) Pooja’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) sad (b) cold (c) scared
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) sad
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is happy? (a) Zoya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Zoya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Zoya was happy.
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is cold? (a) Ishaan was cold. (b) Ishaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Ishaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is happy? (a) Meera’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Meera beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Meera was happy.
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is cold? (a) Yash shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Yash’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Yash was cold.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is bored? (a) Sneha was bored. (b) Sneha drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Sneha folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) scared
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is happy? (a) Zoya beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Zoya was happy. (c) Zoya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is hungry? (a) Farhan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Farhan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Farhan was hungry.
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) bored
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) angry
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev felt very tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) tired
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan felt very sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) angry (b) sad (c) scared
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) angry
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was really cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) scared
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is happy? (a) Rohan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Rohan was happy.
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is angry? (a) Farhan stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Farhan was angry. (c) Farhan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is bored? (a) Aisha was bored. (b) Aisha drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Aisha stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is happy? (a) Rohan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Rohan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Rohan was happy.
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara was hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is cold? (a) Ananya was cold. (b) Ananya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Ananya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is angry? (a) Pooja’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Pooja’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Pooja was angry.
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) tired
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is scared? (a) Tenzin was scared. (b) Tenzin gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Tenzin’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) hungry
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) scared
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is cold? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Riya’s cheek. (b) Riya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Riya was cold.

Answer key

  1. Maria gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  2. happy
  3. angry
  4. Pooja’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  5. cold
  6. sad
  7. Zoya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  8. showing
  9. Ishaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  10. Meera beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  11. Yash shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  12. Sneha drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  13. showing
  14. bored
  15. Zoya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  16. telling
  17. Farhan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  18. bored
  19. telling
  20. happy
  21. telling
  22. showing
  23. scared
  24. telling
  25. angry
  26. sad
  27. telling
  28. happy
  29. Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  30. Farhan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  31. Aisha drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  32. Rohan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  33. telling
  34. Ananya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  35. Pooja’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  36. tired
  37. Tenzin gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  38. hungry
  39. scared
  40. Riya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.

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