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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 859 · 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?
    “Rohan was cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is cold? (a) Diya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Diya was cold. (c) Diya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) tired (b) bored (c) scared
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is angry? (a) Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Aarav was angry. (c) Aarav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) happy
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is tired? (a) Diya was tired. (b) Diya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Diya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is tired? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek. (b) Arjun dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Arjun was tired.
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) bored (b) hungry (c) cold
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) hungry
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is happy? (a) Fatima laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Fatima was happy. (c) Fatima froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was really angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) happy
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Arjun’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) sad
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) scared
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) scared
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is happy? (a) Diya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Diya was happy. (c) Diya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) sad
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) tired (b) angry (c) scared
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is sad? (a) Saanvi sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Saanvi was sad. (c) Saanvi hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is angry? (a) Neel was angry. (b) Neel kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Neel’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) tired
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is sad? (a) Nisha was sad. (b) Nisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Nisha licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is cold? (a) Tara was cold. (b) Tara shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Tara grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is scared? (a) Joseph was scared. (b) Joseph laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) bored (b) scared (c) happy
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) bored
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera felt very scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is hungry? (a) Tara was hungry. (b) Tara sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Tara gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is hungry? (a) Kavya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Kavya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Kavya was hungry.
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is sad? (a) Joseph gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Joseph was sad. (c) Joseph sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) sad
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) bored (b) hungry (c) happy
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is bored? (a) Maria kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Maria sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Maria was bored.

Answer key

  1. telling
  2. Diya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  3. scared
  4. Aarav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  5. happy
  6. Diya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  7. Arjun dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  8. hungry
  9. showing
  10. angry
  11. Fatima laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  12. telling
  13. tired
  14. sad
  15. happy
  16. telling
  17. cold
  18. Diya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  19. sad
  20. angry
  21. Saanvi sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  22. showing
  23. Neel’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  24. showing
  25. showing
  26. tired
  27. Nisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  28. Tara shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  29. telling
  30. Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  31. happy
  32. hungry
  33. telling
  34. Tara gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  35. telling
  36. Kavya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  37. Joseph sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  38. sad
  39. hungry
  40. Maria kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.

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