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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 995 · 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 Rohan is hungry? (a) Rohan was hungry. (b) Rohan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Rohan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is hungry? (a) Ananya was hungry. (b) Ananya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Ananya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is bored? (a) Aryan was bored. (b) Aryan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Aryan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) bored
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is scared? (a) Imran’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Imran was scared. (c) Imran’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is hungry? (a) Rohan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Rohan was hungry. (c) Rohan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is cold? (a) Pooja rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Pooja was cold. (c) Pooja’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Arjun’s cheek.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) sad
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is cold? (a) Zoya was cold. (b) Zoya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Zoya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is hungry? (a) Meera’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Meera’s cheek. (c) Meera was hungry.
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is tired? (a) Farhan was tired. (b) Farhan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Farhan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) sad
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is scared? (a) Dev was scared. (b) Dev kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (c) Dev gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is cold? (a) Tara was cold. (b) Tara kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Tara’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) sad (b) cold (c) scared
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) showing (b) telling
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is hungry? (a) Saanvi shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Saanvi kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Saanvi was hungry.
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir felt very sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) tired
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph was really hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  21. 21.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) angry
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is scared? (a) Pooja gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Pooja’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Pooja was scared.
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) cold
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) bored (b) cold (c) angry
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is cold? (a) Ishaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Ishaan was cold. (c) Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) cold
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is happy? (a) Farhan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Farhan was happy. (c) Farhan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) angry (b) tired (c) sad
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) scared
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) bored
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran was tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran felt very angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) bored
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is sad? (a) Tears filled Zoya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (b) Zoya was sad. (c) Zoya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) scared (b) sad (c) hungry

Answer key

  1. Rohan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  2. Ananya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  3. Aryan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  4. bored
  5. Imran’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  6. Rohan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  7. Pooja rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  8. sad
  9. Zoya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  10. Meera’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  11. Farhan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  12. happy
  13. Dev gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
  14. Tara’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  15. scared
  16. showing
  17. Saanvi kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  18. telling
  19. angry
  20. telling
  21. scared
  22. showing
  23. Pooja gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
  24. bored
  25. bored
  26. Ishaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  27. hungry
  28. Farhan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  29. showing
  30. angry
  31. happy
  32. bored
  33. showing
  34. telling
  35. showing
  36. telling
  37. bored
  38. showing
  39. Tears filled Zoya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  40. sad

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