← Show, don’t tell lesson New set →

Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 10 · 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.

NameDateTime takenScore ___ / 40
  1. 1.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav was really happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is happy? (a) Sneha was happy. (b) Sneha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Sneha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is happy? (a) Arjun was happy. (b) Arjun grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is scared? (a) Kavya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Kavya was scared. (c) Kavya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  5. 5.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja felt very cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is scared? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Saanvi’s cheek. (b) Saanvi’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Saanvi was scared.
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya felt very angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is hungry? (a) Diya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Diya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Diya was hungry.
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) tired (b) scared (c) cold
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran felt very tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is happy? (a) Diya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Diya was happy. (c) Diya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is bored? (a) Manav was bored. (b) Manav sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Manav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is scared? (a) Joseph was scared. (b) Joseph’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Joseph’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria was really hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is happy? (a) Yash was happy. (b) Yash folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Yash hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha was really hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is sad? (a) Farhan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Farhan’s cheek. (c) Farhan was sad.
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) bored
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) tired
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is happy? (a) Kavya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Kavya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Kavya was happy.
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Pooja’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) scared
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) tired (b) angry (c) sad
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is bored? (a) Dev kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Dev was bored. (c) Dev hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is sad? (a) Sahil was sad. (b) Sahil sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Sahil’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) sad
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) tired (b) angry (c) scared
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Riya’s cheek. (b) Riya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Riya was sad.
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) hungry
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) cold
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) scared
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is happy? (a) Ananya was happy. (b) Ananya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.

Answer key

  1. telling
  2. Sneha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  3. Arjun grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  4. Kavya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  5. telling
  6. Saanvi’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  7. telling
  8. Diya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  9. showing
  10. tired
  11. telling
  12. showing
  13. showing
  14. showing
  15. showing
  16. telling
  17. telling
  18. Diya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  19. Manav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  20. Joseph’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  21. telling
  22. Yash hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  23. showing
  24. telling
  25. A tear rolled slowly down Farhan’s cheek.
  26. hungry
  27. happy
  28. Kavya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  29. showing
  30. scared
  31. angry
  32. Dev kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  33. Sahil sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  34. happy
  35. scared
  36. A tear rolled slowly down Riya’s cheek.
  37. bored
  38. hungry
  39. scared
  40. Ananya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.

Free creative writing lessons, practice and worksheets at talentjr.in/creative-writing-for-kids