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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 833 · 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.

NameDateTime takenScore ___ / 40
  1. 1.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is happy? (a) Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Ananya was happy. (c) Ananya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is angry? (a) Fatima was angry. (b) Fatima threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Fatima drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) angry
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) tired
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) scared
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) scared
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) scared (b) happy (c) angry
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is hungry? (a) Simran’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Simran’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Simran was hungry.
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is tired? (a) Saanvi was tired. (b) Saanvi dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Saanvi drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is scared? (a) Meera was scared. (b) Meera sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Meera froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was really happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) bored (b) scared (c) happy
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Joseph’s cheek.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) sad
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) cold
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) angry (b) tired (c) sad
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is hungry? (a) Riya was hungry. (b) Riya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Riya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is happy? (a) Simran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Simran sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Simran was happy.
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is sad? (a) Ananya was sad. (b) Ananya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Ananya’s cheek.
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha was really cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) scared (b) sad (c) happy
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is happy? (a) Sneha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Sneha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Sneha was happy.
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is hungry? (a) Riya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Riya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Riya was hungry.
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is bored? (a) Pooja’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Pooja kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Pooja was bored.
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) angry
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is bored? (a) Farhan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Farhan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Farhan was bored.
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) tired
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) scared
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) sad
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) hungry (b) happy (c) scared
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Yash’s cheek.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is tired? (a) Neel was tired. (b) Neel’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Neel could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is hungry? (a) Aisha was hungry. (b) Aisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Aisha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.

Answer key

  1. Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  2. telling
  3. Fatima threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  4. bored
  5. scared
  6. scared
  7. scared
  8. angry
  9. showing
  10. Simran’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  11. showing
  12. Saanvi dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  13. Meera froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  14. telling
  15. scared
  16. showing
  17. sad
  18. cold
  19. sad
  20. Riya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  21. Simran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  22. A tear rolled slowly down Ananya’s cheek.
  23. telling
  24. scared
  25. Sneha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  26. showing
  27. showing
  28. Riya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  29. Pooja kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  30. happy
  31. Farhan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  32. tired
  33. telling
  34. bored
  35. happy
  36. happy
  37. showing
  38. showing
  39. Neel could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  40. Aisha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.

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