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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 862 · 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.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin felt very sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) scared (b) bored (c) angry
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) bored
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is angry? (a) Neel dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Neel was angry. (c) Neel stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was really happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is scared? (a) Ananya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Ananya was scared. (c) Ananya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) cold
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir felt very cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash felt very hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is cold? (a) Rohan was cold. (b) Rohan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Rohan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is sad? (a) Farhan was sad. (b) Farhan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Farhan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Aisha’s cheek.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) sad
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is cold? (a) Imran rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Imran’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Imran was cold.
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) cold (b) angry (c) hungry
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is happy? (a) Sneha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Sneha beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Sneha was happy.
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is scared? (a) Nisha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Nisha froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Nisha was scared.
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) tired (b) scared (c) angry
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is bored? (a) Aarav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Aarav was bored. (c) Aarav licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) bored (b) hungry (c) happy
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is sad? (a) Aryan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Aryan was sad. (c) Aryan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is happy? (a) Farhan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Farhan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Farhan was happy.
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash was really angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is angry? (a) Tara was angry. (b) Tara froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Tara threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is angry? (a) Ananya was angry. (b) Ananya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Ananya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is bored? (a) Tara threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Tara was bored. (c) Tara sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) tired
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is scared? (a) Manav was scared. (b) Manav could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Manav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Arjun kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Arjun froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Arjun was scared.
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) sad
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is cold? (a) Nisha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Nisha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Nisha was cold.

Answer key

  1. telling
  2. bored
  3. happy
  4. Neel stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  5. telling
  6. Ananya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  7. happy
  8. telling
  9. telling
  10. Rohan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  11. showing
  12. showing
  13. Farhan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  14. showing
  15. sad
  16. Imran rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  17. cold
  18. Sneha beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  19. showing
  20. telling
  21. Nisha froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  22. tired
  23. Aarav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  24. bored
  25. Aryan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  26. telling
  27. Farhan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  28. telling
  29. Tara threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  30. Ananya stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  31. showing
  32. Tara sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  33. angry
  34. showing
  35. telling
  36. Manav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  37. Arjun froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  38. telling
  39. sad
  40. Nisha shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.

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