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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 914 · 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?
    “Imran felt very angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is tired? (a) Tears filled Simran’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (b) Simran dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Simran was tired.
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is bored? (a) Sneha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Sneha drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Sneha was bored.
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran was really cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is happy? (a) Yash was happy. (b) Yash beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Tears filled Yash’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is angry? (a) Fatima sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Fatima was angry. (c) Fatima folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) angry
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is bored? (a) Aryan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Aryan was bored. (c) Aryan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) sad
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) sad
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) scared (b) tired (c) angry
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is hungry? (a) Neel was hungry. (b) Neel gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Neel hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima felt very angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) bored (b) sad (c) angry
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is tired? (a) Vihaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Vihaan was tired. (c) Vihaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is happy? (a) Vihaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Vihaan was happy. (c) Vihaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is cold? (a) Ishaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Ishaan was cold. (c) Ishaan stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is sad? (a) Aisha was sad. (b) Aisha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Aisha’s cheek.
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is happy? (a) Yash was happy. (b) Yash laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Yash stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is bored? (a) Imran was bored. (b) Imran kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Imran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) happy
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is hungry? (a) Riya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Riya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Riya was hungry.
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is sad? (a) Dev’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Dev folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Dev was sad.
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is tired? (a) Imran’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Imran’s cheek. (c) Imran was tired.
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha was really tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) bored
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) angry
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is angry? (a) Dev folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) Dev was angry. (c) Dev gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) sad
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is bored? (a) Nisha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Nisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Nisha was bored.
  40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing

Answer key

  1. telling
  2. Simran dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  3. Sneha drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  4. showing
  5. telling
  6. Yash beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  7. Fatima folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  8. angry
  9. Aryan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  10. scared
  11. cold
  12. telling
  13. angry
  14. Neel gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  15. telling
  16. telling
  17. angry
  18. Vihaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  19. Vihaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  20. Ishaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  21. showing
  22. showing
  23. A tear rolled slowly down Aisha’s cheek.
  24. Yash laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  25. telling
  26. telling
  27. Imran kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  28. scared
  29. Riya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  30. Dev’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  31. Imran’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  32. showing
  33. telling
  34. sad
  35. scared
  36. Dev folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  37. showing
  38. sad
  39. Nisha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  40. telling

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