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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 939 · 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?
    “Rohan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) bored
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is angry? (a) Neel’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Neel laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Neel was angry.
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.”     (a) bored (b) scared (c) happy
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is hungry? (a) Sneha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Sneha was hungry. (c) Sneha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is hungry? (a) Manav was hungry. (b) Manav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Manav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) angry
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) scared (b) bored (c) happy
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is happy? (a) Aryan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Aryan was happy. (c) Aryan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) tired (b) bored (c) cold
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is sad? (a) Simran was sad. (b) Tears filled Simran’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Simran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) angry (b) tired (c) sad
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is angry? (a) Yash laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Yash stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Yash was angry.
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is angry? (a) Saanvi was angry. (b) Saanvi threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Saanvi dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) hungry
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is bored? (a) Farhan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Farhan was bored. (c) Farhan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) hungry
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) sad
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) angry (b) tired (c) happy
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Tara’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) sad
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) angry
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is happy? (a) Pooja’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Pooja was happy. (c) Pooja hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) bored (b) cold (c) scared
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Zoya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) sad
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was really angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is cold? (a) Dev’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Dev was cold. (c) Dev rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) hungry (b) happy (c) angry
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Aarav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Aarav was happy.
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) angry
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan felt very cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha was really cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is hungry? (a) Saanvi licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Saanvi was hungry. (c) Saanvi folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is cold? (a) Ishaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Ishaan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Ishaan was cold.
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) tired (b) bored (c) hungry

Answer key

  1. bored
  2. Neel’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  3. scared
  4. Sneha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  5. Manav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  6. showing
  7. sad
  8. telling
  9. happy
  10. Aryan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  11. telling
  12. cold
  13. Tears filled Simran’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  14. angry
  15. Yash stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  16. Saanvi threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  17. sad
  18. showing
  19. Farhan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  20. happy
  21. sad
  22. tired
  23. sad
  24. angry
  25. Pooja hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  26. bored
  27. sad
  28. showing
  29. telling
  30. Dev rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  31. angry
  32. Aarav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  33. telling
  34. angry
  35. telling
  36. telling
  37. showing
  38. Saanvi licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  39. Ishaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  40. tired

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