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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 968 · 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 dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is bored? (a) Simran was bored. (b) Simran counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Simran gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph was cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) sad
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is happy? (a) Ishaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Ishaan was happy. (c) Ishaan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is scared? (a) Manav stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Manav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Manav was scared.
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is angry? (a) Kabir’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Kabir stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Kabir was angry.
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) cold
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) hungry
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is sad? (a) Riya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (b) Riya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Riya was sad.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is cold? (a) Joseph beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Joseph was cold. (c) Joseph rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha was tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is bored? (a) Neel’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Neel was bored. (c) Neel counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) scared
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) bored (b) scared (c) happy
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is angry? (a) Tenzin sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Tenzin was angry. (c) Tenzin threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Kavya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) happy
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is cold? (a) Saanvi hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Saanvi’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Saanvi was cold.
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is bored? (a) Vihaan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Vihaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Vihaan was bored.
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav felt very happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav was happy. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Aarav’s cheek. (c) Aarav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is happy? (a) Meera laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Meera’s cheek. (c) Meera was happy.
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) bored (b) scared (c) happy
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is angry? (a) Sahil’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Sahil was angry. (c) Sahil sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Fatima’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) hungry
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) sad
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) cold (b) bored (c) sad
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) happy
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran felt very happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was really hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) cold
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is angry? (a) Ishaan was angry. (b) Ishaan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Ishaan folded his arms and glared at his brother.

Answer key

  1. showing
  2. Simran counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  3. telling
  4. bored
  5. Ishaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  6. showing
  7. Manav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  8. Kabir stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  9. cold
  10. tired
  11. Riya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  12. Joseph rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  13. telling
  14. showing
  15. Neel counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  16. sad
  17. bored
  18. Tenzin threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  19. showing
  20. angry
  21. Saanvi’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  22. Vihaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  23. telling
  24. showing
  25. Aarav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  26. Meera laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  27. bored
  28. telling
  29. Sahil’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  30. sad
  31. showing
  32. bored
  33. sad
  34. showing
  35. happy
  36. telling
  37. telling
  38. showing
  39. angry
  40. Ishaan folded his arms and glared at his brother.

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