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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 95 · 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.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav felt very happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is hungry? (a) Pooja kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Pooja hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Pooja was hungry.
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph was really cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash felt very scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) scared (b) sad (c) cold
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is angry? (a) Sahil licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Sahil was angry. (c) Sahil stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi felt very scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was really happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya felt very bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) angry (b) hungry (c) sad
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) cold (b) scared (c) bored
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) scared (b) happy (c) angry
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is angry? (a) Diya was angry. (b) Diya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Diya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) scared (b) happy (c) tired
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is hungry? (a) Aarav was hungry. (b) Aarav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Aarav could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is cold? (a) Farhan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Farhan was cold. (c) Farhan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) happy
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is tired? (a) Priya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Priya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Priya was tired.
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is sad? (a) Ishaan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Ishaan was sad.
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is hungry? (a) Aisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Aisha was hungry. (c) Aisha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is bored? (a) Nisha sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Nisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Nisha was bored.
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) scared
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is hungry? (a) Ananya was hungry. (b) Ananya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Ananya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is scared? (a) Rohan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Rohan was scared. (c) Rohan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is happy? (a) Riya was happy. (b) Riya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Riya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is bored? (a) Tara rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Tara sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Tara was bored.
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan was really cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is tired? (a) Ananya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Ananya was tired. (c) Ananya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Aarav’s cheek.”     (a) sad (b) cold (c) bored
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) angry (b) scared (c) happy
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) angry
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) scared (b) happy (c) angry

Answer key

  1. telling
  2. Pooja kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  3. telling
  4. telling
  5. cold
  6. Sahil stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  7. telling
  8. telling
  9. showing
  10. telling
  11. telling
  12. hungry
  13. scared
  14. scared
  15. showing
  16. Diya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  17. scared
  18. showing
  19. Aarav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  20. Farhan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  21. showing
  22. happy
  23. Priya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  24. Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  25. Aisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  26. showing
  27. Nisha sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  28. happy
  29. Ananya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  30. Rohan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  31. Riya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  32. Tara sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  33. showing
  34. telling
  35. Ananya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  36. sad
  37. happy
  38. hungry
  39. showing
  40. angry

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