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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 826 · 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 Yash is bored? (a) Yash counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Yash was bored. (c) Yash grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is bored? (a) Farhan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Farhan was bored. (c) Farhan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is sad? (a) Farhan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Tears filled Farhan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Farhan was sad.
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is scared? (a) Manav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Manav was scared. (c) Manav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is angry? (a) Diya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Diya was angry. (c) Tears filled Diya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is sad? (a) Neel was sad. (b) Neel beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Neel sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) angry
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was really bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) tired
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is scared? (a) Saanvi’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Saanvi was scared. (c) Saanvi sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan felt very sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is happy? (a) Sneha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Sneha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Sneha was happy.
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is happy? (a) Arjun beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Arjun was happy. (c) Arjun froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) sad
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) sad
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) tired (b) scared (c) cold
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is bored? (a) Kabir was bored. (b) Tears filled Kabir’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Kabir kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Meera’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) cold
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is scared? (a) Neel hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Neel was scared. (c) Neel gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya felt very happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is scared? (a) Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Neel’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Neel was scared.
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was really hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) scared (b) sad (c) bored
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) angry (b) sad (c) hungry
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) cold (b) bored (c) happy
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash was bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun felt very tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha felt very hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is happy? (a) Arjun hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Arjun was happy. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek.
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) happy
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is angry? (a) Farhan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Tears filled Farhan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Farhan was angry.
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) angry
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) bored (b) scared (c) angry
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) scared

Answer key

  1. Yash counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  2. showing
  3. Farhan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  4. Tears filled Farhan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  5. Manav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  6. Diya folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  7. Neel sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  8. angry
  9. telling
  10. tired
  11. Saanvi’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  12. telling
  13. Sneha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  14. telling
  15. Arjun beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  16. bored
  17. happy
  18. scared
  19. Kabir kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  20. sad
  21. Neel gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  22. telling
  23. Neel’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  24. showing
  25. telling
  26. scared
  27. showing
  28. angry
  29. bored
  30. telling
  31. telling
  32. telling
  33. Arjun hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  34. happy
  35. Farhan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  36. telling
  37. tired
  38. telling
  39. scared
  40. scared

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