Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 100 · 40 questions

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.

1. 1.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is angry? (a) Tenzin stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Tenzin was angry. (c) Tenzin kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is sad? (a) Joseph was sad. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Joseph’s cheek. (c) Joseph’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is scared? (a) Ishaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Ishaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Ishaan was scared.
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Nisha sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) bored (b) angry (c) tired
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Aryan’s cheek. (b) Aryan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Aryan was sad.
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Saanvi shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) scared (b) cold (c) tired
7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Farhan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.” (a) tired (b) cold (c) hungry
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Dev sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) tired (b) angry (c) sad
9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Saanvi dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) sad (b) tired (c) cold
10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) showing (b) telling
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was really happy.” (a) showing (b) telling
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is angry? (a) Simran stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Simran beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Simran was angry.
13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) cold
14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.” (a) bored (b) cold (c) angry
15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) showing (b) telling
16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is sad? (a) Dev’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Dev was sad. (c) Dev threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was really angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is hungry? (a) Aisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Aisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Aisha was hungry.
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is cold? (a) Dev shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Dev was cold. (c) Dev licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.” (a) showing (b) telling
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph was scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) scared (b) angry (c) bored
24. 24.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 heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) hungry (b) bored (c) tired
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) showing (b) telling
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is sad? (a) Fatima’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Fatima stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Fatima was sad.
28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav felt very cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) showing (b) telling
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is sad? (a) Simran was sad. (b) Simran sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Simran gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is cold? (a) Priya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Priya was cold. (c) Priya stamped her foot and slammed the door.
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was sad.” (a) showing (b) telling
34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) scared (b) sad (c) happy
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was really happy.” (a) telling (b) showing
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is bored? (a) Yash sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Yash hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Yash was bored.
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan felt very cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) happy (b) hungry (c) sad
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is happy? (a) Tenzin was happy. (b) Tenzin kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Tenzin grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) happy (b) hungry (c) angry

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