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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 933 · 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?
    “Tenzin shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) bored
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is sad? (a) Aarav was sad. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Aarav’s cheek. (c) Aarav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is angry? (a) Dev was angry. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Dev’s cheek. (c) Dev folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) bored (b) tired (c) angry
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) angry
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is bored? (a) Tenzin kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Tenzin sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Tenzin was bored.
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) scared
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) bored (b) hungry (c) tired
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is scared? (a) Fatima gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Fatima was scared. (c) Fatima folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is scared? (a) Riya was scared. (b) Tears filled Riya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Riya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is cold? (a) Fatima was cold. (b) Fatima’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Fatima’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) bored (b) scared (c) tired
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) tired (b) hungry (c) bored
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is happy? (a) Rohan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Rohan was happy. (c) Rohan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) scared
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) hungry
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Rohan was tired. (c) Rohan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was really happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) bored
  27. 27.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 laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is hungry? (a) Zoya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Zoya was hungry. (c) Zoya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) hungry (b) sad (c) scared
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Farhan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) scared (b) sad (c) happy
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) sad
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is scared? (a) Maria stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Maria was scared. (c) Maria’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is happy? (a) Ananya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Ananya was happy.
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) angry
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) sad
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is scared? (a) Priya was scared. (b) Priya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Priya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is cold? (a) Tara’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Tara was cold. (c) Tara’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.

Answer key

  1. cold
  2. A tear rolled slowly down Aarav’s cheek.
  3. Dev folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  4. angry
  5. angry
  6. Tenzin kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  7. scared
  8. showing
  9. showing
  10. tired
  11. Fatima gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  12. Riya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  13. Fatima’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  14. tired
  15. telling
  16. tired
  17. showing
  18. showing
  19. showing
  20. Rohan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  21. cold
  22. sad
  23. telling
  24. Rohan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  25. telling
  26. cold
  27. Rohan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  28. Zoya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  29. scared
  30. sad
  31. hungry
  32. Maria’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  33. Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  34. showing
  35. telling
  36. cold
  37. telling
  38. angry
  39. Priya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  40. Tara’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.

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