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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 896 · 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 Ananya is bored? (a) Ananya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Ananya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Ananya was bored.
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is cold? (a) Farhan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Farhan was cold. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Farhan’s cheek.
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) bored
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) cold (b) sad (c) angry
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is sad? (a) Yash was sad. (b) Yash sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Yash gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is cold? (a) Joseph rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Joseph threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Joseph was cold.
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is angry? (a) Rohan was angry. (b) Rohan stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Rohan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) bored (b) hungry (c) happy
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is sad? (a) Riya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Riya’s cheek. (c) Riya was sad.
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Aryan’s cheek.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) sad
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is bored? (a) Saanvi’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Saanvi kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Saanvi was bored.
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is tired? (a) Neel dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Neel laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Neel was tired.
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) angry (b) hungry (c) happy
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) tired
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima was bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) cold
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Farhan’s cheek.”     (a) cold (b) sad (c) scared
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) angry (b) tired (c) scared
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) angry
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) scared (b) angry (c) tired
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is sad? (a) Maria was sad. (b) Maria drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Maria’s cheek.
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) angry
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is sad? (a) Dev was sad. (b) Dev’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Dev’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Aarav was happy. (c) Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) scared
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran felt very sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is angry? (a) Aarav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (b) Aarav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Aarav was angry.
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is bored? (a) Riya was bored. (b) Riya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Riya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) hungry
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Joseph’s cheek.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) tired
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) scared (b) angry (c) tired

Answer key

  1. Ananya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  2. Farhan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  3. happy
  4. angry
  5. Yash sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  6. Joseph rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  7. showing
  8. showing
  9. Rohan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  10. bored
  11. telling
  12. A tear rolled slowly down Riya’s cheek.
  13. sad
  14. Saanvi kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  15. Neel dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  16. angry
  17. showing
  18. scared
  19. showing
  20. telling
  21. tired
  22. sad
  23. angry
  24. bored
  25. angry
  26. A tear rolled slowly down Maria’s cheek.
  27. telling
  28. sad
  29. telling
  30. Dev’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  31. showing
  32. Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  33. cold
  34. telling
  35. Aarav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  36. telling
  37. Riya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  38. angry
  39. sad
  40. tired

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