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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 865 · 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 sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is cold? (a) Rohan was cold. (b) Rohan stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Rohan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Aryan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) cold (b) bored (c) sad
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is scared? (a) Simran gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Simran was scared. (c) Simran gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) tired
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi felt very angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan felt very tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph was bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) angry
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) cold (b) bored (c) scared
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is angry? (a) Ishaan was angry. (b) Ishaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Ishaan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) scared
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is sad? (a) Saanvi was sad. (b) Saanvi folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Saanvi’s cheek.
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is cold? (a) Tara shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Tara’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Tara was cold.
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is tired? (a) Aryan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Aryan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Aryan was tired.
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is bored? (a) Diya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Tears filled Diya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Diya was bored.
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja felt very cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is cold? (a) Yash was cold. (b) Yash shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Yash rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is bored? (a) Saanvi was bored. (b) Saanvi shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Saanvi sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is sad? (a) Tara’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Tara was sad. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Tara’s cheek.
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya felt very cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is scared? (a) Kabir stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Kabir’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Kabir was scared.
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) cold (b) angry (c) happy
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is bored? (a) Ishaan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Ishaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Ishaan was bored.
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) angry
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) scared (b) angry (c) hungry
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is cold? (a) Maria drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Maria was cold. (c) Maria’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is hungry? (a) Aryan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Aryan was hungry. (c) Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) telling (b) showing
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is cold? (a) Tenzin counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Tenzin was cold. (c) Tenzin’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is sad? (a) Saanvi was sad. (b) Saanvi’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Saanvi’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) tired (b) bored (c) cold
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav was happy. (b) Aarav folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Aarav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is scared? (a) Imran’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Imran was scared. (c) Imran gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.

Answer key

  1. Rohan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  2. sad
  3. showing
  4. Simran gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  5. tired
  6. telling
  7. telling
  8. telling
  9. cold
  10. bored
  11. Ishaan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  12. angry
  13. telling
  14. A tear rolled slowly down Saanvi’s cheek.
  15. Tara shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  16. Aryan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  17. Diya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  18. showing
  19. telling
  20. telling
  21. Yash shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  22. Saanvi sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  23. showing
  24. A tear rolled slowly down Tara’s cheek.
  25. telling
  26. Kabir’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  27. angry
  28. Ishaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  29. angry
  30. hungry
  31. Maria’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  32. Aryan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  33. showing
  34. Tenzin’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  35. showing
  36. Saanvi’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  37. showing
  38. bored
  39. Aarav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  40. Imran gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.

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