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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 937 · 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?
    “Pooja stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) scared
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is angry? (a) Manav counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Manav was angry. (c) Manav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is cold? (a) Nisha was cold. (b) Tears filled Nisha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Nisha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) scared (b) bored (c) happy
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) scared
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is hungry? (a) Kavya was hungry. (b) Kavya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Kavya folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is scared? (a) Aryan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Aryan was scared. (c) Aryan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) happy (b) angry (c) bored
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is happy? (a) Meera grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Meera was happy. (c) Tears filled Meera’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) tired (b) scared (c) hungry
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is tired? (a) Joseph was tired. (b) Joseph’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Joseph’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is sad? (a) Aisha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Aisha was sad. (c) Tears filled Aisha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) angry (b) happy (c) bored
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was really tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is cold? (a) Ishaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Ishaan stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Ishaan was cold.
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is tired? (a) Imran was tired. (b) Imran could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Imran laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) sad (b) cold (c) happy
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) happy
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is scared? (a) Yash was scared. (b) Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Yash licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is cold? (a) Neel’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Neel shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Neel was cold.
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran was really hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) bored
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is hungry? (a) Sahil stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Sahil was hungry. (c) Sahil kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is cold? (a) Fatima shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Fatima was cold. (c) Fatima kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) angry (b) cold (c) scared
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan felt very sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Riya’s cheek.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) sad
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) cold (b) tired (c) happy
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is tired? (a) Rohan was tired. (b) Rohan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Rohan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) bored (b) cold (c) scared
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was really angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun felt very angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling

Answer key

  1. angry
  2. Manav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  3. Nisha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  4. bored
  5. cold
  6. Kavya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  7. Aryan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  8. angry
  9. showing
  10. Meera grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  11. hungry
  12. Joseph’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  13. Tears filled Aisha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  14. telling
  15. showing
  16. angry
  17. telling
  18. Ishaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  19. Imran could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  20. sad
  21. bored
  22. Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  23. Neel shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  24. telling
  25. bored
  26. Sahil kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  27. telling
  28. telling
  29. Fatima shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  30. scared
  31. telling
  32. showing
  33. bored
  34. tired
  35. Rohan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  36. showing
  37. showing
  38. cold
  39. telling
  40. telling

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