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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 835 · 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?
    “Aryan was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is happy? (a) Aisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Aisha was happy. (c) Aisha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is hungry? (a) Maria was hungry. (b) Maria’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Maria gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is bored? (a) Fatima was bored. (b) Fatima’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Fatima sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) scared
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is happy? (a) Manav was happy. (b) Manav folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Manav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is sad? (a) Maria was sad. (b) Maria laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Maria’s cheek.
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is scared? (a) Aarav was scared. (b) Aarav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Aarav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) scared
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) cold (b) bored (c) tired
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is bored? (a) Manav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Manav kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Manav was bored.
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) hungry (b) sad (c) cold
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is sad? (a) Neel was sad. (b) Tears filled Neel’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Neel laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is happy? (a) Meera was happy. (b) Meera dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Meera laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is happy? (a) Fatima sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Fatima laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Fatima was happy.
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) tired
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is happy? (a) Neel was happy. (b) Neel gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Neel beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is angry? (a) Ananya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Ananya was angry. (c) Ananya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) bored
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is tired? (a) Ishaan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Ishaan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Ishaan was tired.
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Aarav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) hungry (b) sad (c) angry
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) angry
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun felt very bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) hungry
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is hungry? (a) Saanvi kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Saanvi was hungry. (c) Saanvi rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph felt very angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev felt very angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) hungry (b) sad (c) tired
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is cold? (a) Manav dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Manav was cold. (c) Manav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) tired (b) angry (c) scared
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is sad? (a) Ishaan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Ishaan was sad.
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Riya’s cheek.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) hungry
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Neel’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) cold (b) angry (c) sad
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is happy? (a) Arjun was happy. (b) Arjun kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Arjun hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was really cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing

Answer key

  1. telling
  2. Aisha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  3. Maria’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  4. Fatima sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  5. happy
  6. Manav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  7. A tear rolled slowly down Maria’s cheek.
  8. Aarav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  9. telling
  10. cold
  11. tired
  12. showing
  13. Manav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  14. cold
  15. Tears filled Neel’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  16. Meera laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  17. Fatima laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  18. cold
  19. Neel beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  20. Ananya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  21. happy
  22. Ishaan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  23. sad
  24. showing
  25. angry
  26. telling
  27. hungry
  28. Saanvi kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  29. telling
  30. telling
  31. sad
  32. telling
  33. Manav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  34. tired
  35. Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  36. sad
  37. sad
  38. showing
  39. Arjun hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  40. telling

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