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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 870 · 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?
    “Nisha was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Sahil’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) sad
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Ananya’s cheek.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) hungry
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is bored? (a) Aisha was bored. (b) Aisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Aisha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) angry (b) hungry (c) happy
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is hungry? (a) Ishaan was hungry. (b) Ishaan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Ishaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was really cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) happy
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Meera’s cheek. (b) Meera counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Meera was sad.
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was really tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) hungry
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is angry? (a) Arjun hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Arjun was angry. (c) Arjun threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran felt very angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is scared? (a) Imran folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) Imran’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Imran was scared.
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Imran’s cheek.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) bored
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is hungry? (a) Meera’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Meera’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Meera was hungry.
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is hungry? (a) Arjun was hungry. (b) Arjun threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Arjun licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is happy? (a) Ananya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Ananya was happy. (c) Ananya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is hungry? (a) Neel was hungry. (b) Neel’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Neel’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is happy? (a) Vihaan was happy. (b) Vihaan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Vihaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) cold
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) tired
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) happy
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) angry
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is scared? (a) Ishaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Ishaan was scared. (c) Ishaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is tired? (a) Meera was tired. (b) Meera’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Meera rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) scared
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is sad? (a) Arjun was sad. (b) Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Tears filled Arjun’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is bored? (a) Saanvi was bored. (b) Saanvi’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Saanvi sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Meera’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) cold
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was really angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is happy? (a) Neel hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Neel could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Neel was happy.

Answer key

  1. telling
  2. sad
  3. showing
  4. showing
  5. sad
  6. Aisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  7. angry
  8. Ishaan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  9. telling
  10. happy
  11. showing
  12. A tear rolled slowly down Meera’s cheek.
  13. telling
  14. sad
  15. Arjun threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  16. telling
  17. Imran’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  18. sad
  19. telling
  20. Meera’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  21. Arjun licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  22. Ananya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  23. Neel’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  24. Vihaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  25. happy
  26. telling
  27. tired
  28. happy
  29. sad
  30. showing
  31. Ishaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  32. Meera rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  33. tired
  34. Tears filled Arjun’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  35. Saanvi sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  36. telling
  37. sad
  38. telling
  39. showing
  40. Neel hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.

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