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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 909 · 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.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) angry (b) tired (c) cold
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is cold? (a) Arjun was cold. (b) Arjun rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Arjun dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is bored? (a) Kabir laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Kabir was bored. (c) Kabir drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan was really bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is hungry? (a) Aisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Aisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Aisha was hungry.
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is tired? (a) Meera was tired. (b) Meera dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Meera drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is cold? (a) Manav was cold. (b) Manav folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Manav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is happy? (a) Arjun was happy. (b) Arjun sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Arjun laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) angry (b) scared (c) happy
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) happy
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) angry
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) sad
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) bored (b) cold (c) happy
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is hungry? (a) Vihaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Vihaan was hungry. (c) Vihaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was really bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) happy
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is sad? (a) Vihaan was sad. (b) Vihaan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Vihaan’s cheek.
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is happy? (a) Fatima was happy. (b) Fatima hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Fatima dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Aarav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) tired
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Tenzin’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) scared
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash felt very angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan felt very scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is hungry? (a) Aryan was hungry. (b) Aryan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is cold? (a) Priya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Priya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Priya was cold.
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is hungry? (a) Zoya was hungry. (b) Zoya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Zoya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) scared
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) cold
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is happy? (a) Aisha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Aisha was happy. (c) Aisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) scared (b) happy (c) hungry
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is tired? (a) Aisha was tired. (b) Aisha beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Aisha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.

Answer key

  1. tired
  2. showing
  3. Arjun rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  4. showing
  5. showing
  6. Kabir drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  7. telling
  8. Aisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  9. Meera dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  10. showing
  11. Manav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  12. Arjun laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  13. angry
  14. tired
  15. scared
  16. sad
  17. happy
  18. Vihaan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  19. telling
  20. hungry
  21. A tear rolled slowly down Vihaan’s cheek.
  22. Fatima hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  23. sad
  24. sad
  25. telling
  26. telling
  27. showing
  28. showing
  29. Aryan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  30. Priya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  31. showing
  32. telling
  33. Zoya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  34. telling
  35. happy
  36. showing
  37. scared
  38. Aisha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  39. scared
  40. Aisha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.

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