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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 945 · 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?
    “Joseph kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) scared
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is bored? (a) Fatima sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Fatima’s cheek. (c) Fatima was bored.
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is scared? (a) Ishaan was scared. (b) Ishaan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Ishaan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya felt very happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is bored? (a) Kabir was bored. (b) Kabir dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Kabir kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was really hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is happy? (a) Aryan was happy. (b) Aryan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Aryan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) tired
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) happy
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is scared? (a) Dev gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Dev’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (c) Dev was scared.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is sad? (a) Nisha was sad. (b) Nisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Nisha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is cold? (a) Aarav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Aarav was cold. (c) Aarav could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is cold? (a) Aarav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Aarav was cold. (c) Aarav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is happy? (a) Fatima was happy. (b) Tears filled Fatima’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Fatima laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) cold (b) scared (c) bored
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) cold
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) angry
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was really happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) hungry (b) happy (c) angry
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) angry (b) tired (c) bored
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) hungry (b) sad (c) scared
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is scared? (a) Yash was scared. (b) Yash hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Yash’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was really hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is sad? (a) Kavya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Kavya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Kavya was sad.
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) bored
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is bored? (a) Zoya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Zoya was bored. (c) Zoya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara felt very hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was really bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is bored? (a) Ananya was bored. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Ananya’s cheek. (c) Ananya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) hungry
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) sad
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is cold? (a) Vihaan was cold. (b) Vihaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Vihaan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) cold
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is sad? (a) Pooja sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Pooja sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Pooja was sad.
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Pooja’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) sad (b) cold (c) bored
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) angry (b) cold (c) scared
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) scared (b) happy (c) sad
  40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) showing (b) telling

Answer key

  1. bored
  2. Fatima sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  3. Ishaan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  4. telling
  5. telling
  6. Kabir kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  7. telling
  8. Aryan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  9. tired
  10. happy
  11. Dev gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  12. Nisha sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  13. Aarav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  14. Aarav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  15. Fatima laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  16. scared
  17. sad
  18. tired
  19. telling
  20. showing
  21. happy
  22. tired
  23. scared
  24. Yash’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  25. telling
  26. Kavya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  27. sad
  28. Zoya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  29. telling
  30. telling
  31. Ananya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  32. hungry
  33. sad
  34. Vihaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  35. cold
  36. Pooja sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  37. sad
  38. angry
  39. sad
  40. showing

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