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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 969 · 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?
    “Aryan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) tired (b) bored (c) hungry
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is hungry? (a) Fatima’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Fatima hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Fatima was hungry.
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is scared? (a) Zoya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Zoya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Zoya was scared.
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha was really bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is sad? (a) Diya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Diya was sad. (c) Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) tired
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is angry? (a) Kabir was angry. (b) Kabir folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Kabir dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) bored (b) scared (c) cold
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan felt very bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is angry? (a) Aarav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Aarav was angry. (c) Aarav’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara felt very happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is angry? (a) Diya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Diya was angry. (c) Diya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is happy? (a) Saanvi beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Saanvi was happy. (c) Saanvi drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash was happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is happy? (a) Sahil was happy. (b) Sahil’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Sahil grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is hungry? (a) Tara was hungry. (b) Tara gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Tara rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is bored? (a) Sahil kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Sahil rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Sahil was bored.
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) sad
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) sad
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is scared? (a) Tears filled Ananya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (b) Ananya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (c) Ananya was scared.
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) hungry
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan was angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) cold
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) cold (b) tired (c) sad
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) tired
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is bored? (a) Arjun folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) Arjun kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Arjun was bored.
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) scared
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is scared? (a) Kavya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Kavya was scared. (c) Kavya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Kavya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is cold? (a) Dev sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Dev was cold. (c) Dev’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Rohan’s cheek.”     (a) showing (b) telling

Answer key

  1. bored
  2. telling
  3. Fatima’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  4. showing
  5. Zoya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  6. showing
  7. telling
  8. Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  9. tired
  10. Kabir folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  11. showing
  12. cold
  13. telling
  14. Aarav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  15. telling
  16. Diya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  17. Saanvi beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  18. telling
  19. Sahil grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  20. Tara gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  21. telling
  22. Sahil kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  23. showing
  24. sad
  25. happy
  26. Ananya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  27. tired
  28. telling
  29. telling
  30. tired
  31. cold
  32. bored
  33. Arjun kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  34. telling
  35. hungry
  36. Kavya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  37. showing
  38. Dev’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  39. showing
  40. showing

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