← Show, don’t tell lesson New set →

Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 179 · 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.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) happy
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) scared (b) sad (c) tired
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) tired (b) hungry (c) happy
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is happy? (a) Kavya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Kavya was happy. (c) Kavya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Priya’s cheek. (b) Priya was sad. (c) Priya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima was really happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is angry? (a) Pooja’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Pooja folded her arms and glared at her brother. (c) Pooja was angry.
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is scared? (a) Fatima was scared. (b) Fatima froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Fatima’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is tired? (a) Arjun beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Arjun was tired. (c) Arjun’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is scared? (a) Riya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Riya was scared. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Riya’s cheek.
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) angry (b) scared (c) cold
  13. 13.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 threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is scared? (a) Joseph was scared. (b) Joseph counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is happy? (a) Aryan was happy. (b) Aryan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) hungry (b) sad (c) cold
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is sad? (a) Saanvi stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Saanvi’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Saanvi was sad.
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is cold? (a) Aryan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Aryan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Aryan was cold.
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara was bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) hungry
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) happy
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) happy
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) scared (b) angry (c) happy
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) sad (b) bored (c) tired
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is bored? (a) Meera was bored. (b) Meera stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Meera kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) happy
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph was really sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is scared? (a) Diya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Diya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Diya was scared.
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is bored? (a) Rohan was bored. (b) Rohan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Tears filled Rohan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav felt very tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is angry? (a) Aisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Aisha was angry. (c) Aisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) hungry (b) happy (c) sad
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) hungry
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) hungry
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Saanvi’s cheek.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) bored

Answer key

  1. happy
  2. scared
  3. happy
  4. Kavya laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  5. A tear rolled slowly down Priya’s cheek.
  6. telling
  7. Pooja folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  8. showing
  9. Fatima froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  10. Arjun’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  11. Riya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  12. angry
  13. Dev kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  14. telling
  15. Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  16. Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  17. showing
  18. cold
  19. showing
  20. Saanvi’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  21. Aryan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  22. telling
  23. angry
  24. happy
  25. hungry
  26. happy
  27. tired
  28. telling
  29. Meera kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  30. cold
  31. telling
  32. Diya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  33. Rohan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  34. telling
  35. showing
  36. Aisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  37. happy
  38. happy
  39. bored
  40. sad

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