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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 962 · 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?
    “Simran drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja felt very angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is sad? (a) Arjun’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (b) Arjun was sad. (c) Tears filled Arjun’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is cold? (a) Sahil counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Sahil rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Sahil was cold.
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is cold? (a) Pooja was cold. (b) Pooja rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Pooja’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is tired? (a) Sneha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Sneha was tired. (c) Sneha gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is sad? (a) Imran was sad. (b) Imran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Tears filled Imran’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is cold? (a) Diya was cold. (b) Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Diya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is bored? (a) Joseph counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Joseph was bored. (c) Joseph rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is scared? (a) Aryan stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Aryan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Aryan was scared.
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is tired? (a) Imran rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Imran was tired. (c) Imran could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is cold? (a) Kavya was cold. (b) Kavya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Kavya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is scared? (a) Tenzin’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Tenzin’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Tenzin was scared.
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is sad? (a) Kavya was sad. (b) Kavya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Kavya’s cheek.
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is angry? (a) Tara was angry. (b) Tara’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Tara’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) hungry
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is hungry? (a) Saanvi was hungry. (b) Saanvi shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Saanvi’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was really tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) happy (b) sad (c) angry
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is sad? (a) Imran’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Imran folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Imran was sad.
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is scared? (a) Ananya was scared. (b) Ananya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Tears filled Ananya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan felt very bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is happy? (a) Ananya was happy. (b) Ananya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Ananya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) cold (b) angry (c) hungry
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) bored
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is scared? (a) Manav was scared. (b) Manav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Manav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya felt very hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria was really happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) scared
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is happy? (a) Manav sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Manav was happy. (c) Manav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima felt very bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) telling (b) showing
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) bored

Answer key

  1. showing
  2. telling
  3. telling
  4. Tears filled Arjun’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  5. Sahil rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  6. Pooja rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  7. Sneha’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  8. Tears filled Imran’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  9. showing
  10. telling
  11. Diya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  12. Joseph counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  13. Aryan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  14. Imran could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  15. Kavya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  16. Tenzin’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  17. showing
  18. A tear rolled slowly down Kavya’s cheek.
  19. showing
  20. telling
  21. Tara’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  22. happy
  23. Saanvi’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  24. telling
  25. angry
  26. Imran’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  27. Ananya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  28. telling
  29. Ananya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  30. angry
  31. bored
  32. Manav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  33. telling
  34. telling
  35. cold
  36. Manav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  37. telling
  38. telling
  39. showing
  40. hungry

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