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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 876 · 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?
    “Sahil kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) hungry
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) hungry
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) scared
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is scared? (a) Rohan was scared. (b) Rohan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Rohan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash felt very sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is angry? (a) Aisha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Aisha was angry. (c) Aisha stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) sad
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is sad? (a) Aisha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Aisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Aisha was sad.
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja felt very angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is tired? (a) Dev was tired. (b) Dev gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Dev rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is cold? (a) Manav kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Manav was cold. (c) Manav rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is sad? (a) Arjun was sad. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek. (c) Arjun sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) bored
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) cold (b) sad (c) bored
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha felt very tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) sad
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is bored? (a) Priya was bored. (b) Priya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Priya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) sad
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) sad
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is angry? (a) Sneha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Sneha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Sneha was angry.
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) angry (b) scared (c) bored
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) happy
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is tired? (a) Vihaan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Vihaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Vihaan was tired.
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav was happy. (b) Aarav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Aarav folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is sad? (a) Tara sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Tara’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Tara was sad.
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is tired? (a) Tara grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Tara could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Tara was tired.
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is angry? (a) Nisha folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Nisha was angry. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Nisha’s cheek.
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is angry? (a) Diya was angry. (b) Tears filled Diya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Diya stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) tired
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is bored? (a) Kavya was bored. (b) Kavya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Kavya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is hungry? (a) Yash was hungry. (b) Yash gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (c) Yash gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) bored (b) cold (c) tired
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was really cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) angry (b) hungry (c) bored
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is bored? (a) Dev licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Dev was bored. (c) Dev drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.

Answer key

  1. showing
  2. hungry
  3. hungry
  4. angry
  5. Rohan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  6. telling
  7. Aisha stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  8. bored
  9. Aisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  10. telling
  11. Dev rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  12. Manav rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  13. A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek.
  14. hungry
  15. bored
  16. telling
  17. sad
  18. showing
  19. Priya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  20. bored
  21. sad
  22. Sneha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  23. showing
  24. telling
  25. scared
  26. happy
  27. Vihaan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  28. Aarav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  29. Tara sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  30. Tara could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  31. Nisha folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  32. telling
  33. Diya stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  34. cold
  35. Kavya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  36. Yash gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  37. tired
  38. telling
  39. angry
  40. Dev drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.

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