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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 919 · 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 feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Riya’s cheek.”     (a) tired (b) hungry (c) sad
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) scared (b) happy (c) sad
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) scared
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Meera’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is angry? (a) Manav was angry. (b) Manav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Manav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) angry (b) hungry (c) scared
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is hungry? (a) Rohan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Rohan was hungry. (c) Tears filled Rohan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is happy? (a) Aisha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Aisha was happy. (c) Aisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) cold (b) angry (c) sad
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is scared? (a) Diya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Diya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Diya was scared.
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) scared
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) angry (b) tired (c) scared
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha was really scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) bored (b) hungry (c) tired
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha felt very tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) scared (b) angry (c) tired
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is happy? (a) Aryan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Aryan was happy. (c) Aryan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Fatima’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) happy
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) happy
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is hungry? (a) Kavya was hungry. (b) Kavya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Kavya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) scared
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is hungry? (a) Ananya was hungry. (b) Ananya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Ananya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is hungry? (a) Neel was hungry. (b) Neel licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Neel folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is sad? (a) Vihaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Vihaan was sad. (c) Tears filled Vihaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) bored (b) hungry (c) cold
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Kabir’s cheek.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) bored
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is scared? (a) Imran kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Imran froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Imran was scared.
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is happy? (a) Rohan was happy. (b) Rohan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Rohan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is sad? (a) Meera dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Tears filled Meera’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Meera was sad.
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya was cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) angry
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is happy? (a) Vihaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Vihaan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Vihaan was happy.
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is angry? (a) Imran was angry. (b) Imran stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Imran sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is bored? (a) Rohan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Rohan was bored. (c) Rohan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.

Answer key

  1. sad
  2. scared
  3. showing
  4. scared
  5. showing
  6. Manav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  7. angry
  8. Rohan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  9. Aisha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  10. angry
  11. Diya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  12. scared
  13. showing
  14. scared
  15. telling
  16. hungry
  17. telling
  18. angry
  19. showing
  20. Aryan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  21. sad
  22. happy
  23. Kavya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  24. happy
  25. showing
  26. Ananya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  27. Neel licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  28. showing
  29. Tears filled Vihaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  30. cold
  31. sad
  32. Imran froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  33. Rohan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  34. Tears filled Meera’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  35. telling
  36. angry
  37. telling
  38. Vihaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  39. Imran stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  40. Rohan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.

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