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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 980 · 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 sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is hungry? (a) Neel was hungry. (b) Neel shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Neel gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) tired
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) happy
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is tired? (a) Sneha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Sneha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Sneha was tired.
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is hungry? (a) Manav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Manav was hungry. (c) Manav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) cold
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Yash’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) scared
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is angry? (a) Meera was angry. (b) Meera threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Meera’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is bored? (a) Neel laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Neel was bored. (c) Neel sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) sad
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) angry
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) cold
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is tired? (a) Arjun was tired. (b) Arjun dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Arjun stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph felt very tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya was really hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is tired? (a) Pooja was tired. (b) Pooja could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Pooja drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) happy
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash felt very tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was really bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is happy? (a) Farhan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Farhan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Farhan was happy.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is happy? (a) Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Aryan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Aryan was happy.
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.”     (a) scared (b) sad (c) tired
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) cold (b) sad (c) tired
  26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is scared? (a) Maria counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Maria was scared. (c) Maria’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) cold
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is cold? (a) Sahil sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Sahil was cold. (c) Sahil’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is happy? (a) Vihaan was happy. (b) Vihaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Vihaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) scared (b) bored (c) cold
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is angry? (a) Maria’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Maria grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Maria was angry.
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) hungry
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) cold
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is happy? (a) Fatima grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Fatima sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Fatima was happy.

Answer key

  1. Neel gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  2. happy
  3. happy
  4. Sneha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  5. Manav’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  6. scared
  7. sad
  8. Meera threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  9. Neel sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  10. scared
  11. sad
  12. scared
  13. Arjun dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  14. showing
  15. telling
  16. telling
  17. Pooja could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  18. angry
  19. telling
  20. showing
  21. telling
  22. Farhan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  23. Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  24. tired
  25. cold
  26. showing
  27. telling
  28. showing
  29. showing
  30. Maria’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  31. bored
  32. Sahil’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  33. Vihaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  34. showing
  35. showing
  36. bored
  37. Maria’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  38. happy
  39. cold
  40. Fatima grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.

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