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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 863 · 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 feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) angry (b) hungry (c) bored
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is sad? (a) Imran was sad. (b) Imran’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Imran’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is hungry? (a) Ananya was hungry. (b) Ananya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Ananya’s cheek.
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is angry? (a) Tara was angry. (b) Tara threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Tara rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is tired? (a) Zoya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Zoya was tired. (c) Zoya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is happy? (a) Diya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Diya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Diya was happy.
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) happy
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is hungry? (a) Ishaan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Ishaan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Ishaan was hungry.
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Yash’s cheek.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) scared
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is bored? (a) Fatima laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Fatima counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Fatima was bored.
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) bored (b) angry (c) hungry
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is hungry? (a) Riya was hungry. (b) Riya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Riya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) sad
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is hungry? (a) Aryan was hungry. (b) Aryan beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Aryan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is happy? (a) Priya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Priya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Priya was happy.
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is angry? (a) Saanvi’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Saanvi gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Saanvi was angry.
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Aisha’s cheek.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) sad
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is happy? (a) Pooja beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Pooja rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Pooja was happy.
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is cold? (a) Kabir sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Kabir’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Kabir was cold.
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is happy? (a) Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Kabir’s cheek. (c) Kabir was happy.
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) tired (b) bored (c) hungry
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) bored
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is tired? (a) Tenzin was tired. (b) Tenzin sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Tenzin’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Zoya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) tired (b) hungry (c) sad
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is scared? (a) Yash was scared. (b) Yash’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) cold (b) tired (c) scared
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) angry (b) scared (c) tired
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is sad? (a) Arjun was sad. (b) Tears filled Arjun’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Arjun rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) hungry (b) happy (c) cold
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was really hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was really happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling

Answer key

  1. bored
  2. Imran’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  3. Ananya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  4. telling
  5. Tara threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  6. Zoya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  7. Diya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  8. happy
  9. Ishaan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  10. showing
  11. showing
  12. hungry
  13. Fatima counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  14. angry
  15. Riya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  16. happy
  17. Aryan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  18. telling
  19. Priya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  20. showing
  21. Saanvi’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  22. sad
  23. Pooja beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  24. Kabir’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  25. showing
  26. showing
  27. Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  28. bored
  29. tired
  30. Tenzin’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  31. sad
  32. Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  33. cold
  34. tired
  35. Tears filled Arjun’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  36. telling
  37. cold
  38. telling
  39. showing
  40. telling

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