← Show, don’t tell lesson New set →

Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 190 · 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?
    “Kavya was tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) bored
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is cold? (a) Pooja was cold. (b) Pooja stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Pooja shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is angry? (a) Simran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Simran was angry. (c) Simran folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is hungry? (a) Manav kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Manav beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Manav was hungry.
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) bored (b) scared (c) cold
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) angry (b) hungry (c) sad
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is angry? (a) Imran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Imran was angry. (c) Imran folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is hungry? (a) Kavya was hungry. (b) Kavya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Kavya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran was sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) angry (b) hungry (c) bored
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya felt very hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is bored? (a) Farhan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Farhan was bored. (c) Farhan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) hungry (b) happy (c) scared
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is happy? (a) Farhan was happy. (b) Farhan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Farhan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is sad? (a) Dev was sad. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Dev’s cheek. (c) Dev’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is happy? (a) Neel kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Neel hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Neel was happy.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is cold? (a) Joseph was cold. (b) Joseph threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) Joseph rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan was really happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is cold? (a) Farhan was cold. (b) Farhan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Farhan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is tired? (a) Fatima was tired. (b) Fatima rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Fatima grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev was cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is sad? (a) Neel counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Neel was sad. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Neel’s cheek.
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) hungry (b) sad (c) happy
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) scared
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) happy
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is happy? (a) Aryan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Aryan was happy. (c) Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Kavya’s cheek.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) hungry
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) hungry (b) happy (c) angry
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is bored? (a) Arjun counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Arjun was bored. (c) Arjun dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is bored? (a) Tenzin was bored. (b) Tenzin drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Tenzin could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is happy? (a) Diya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Diya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Diya was happy.

Answer key

  1. telling
  2. bored
  3. Pooja shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.
  4. Simran folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  5. Manav kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  6. telling
  7. showing
  8. cold
  9. sad
  10. telling
  11. Imran folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  12. Kavya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  13. showing
  14. telling
  15. bored
  16. telling
  17. Farhan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  18. happy
  19. showing
  20. Farhan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  21. A tear rolled slowly down Dev’s cheek.
  22. Neel hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  23. Joseph rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  24. telling
  25. Farhan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  26. Fatima rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  27. telling
  28. A tear rolled slowly down Neel’s cheek.
  29. telling
  30. sad
  31. happy
  32. showing
  33. happy
  34. showing
  35. Aryan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  36. sad
  37. happy
  38. Arjun counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  39. Tenzin drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  40. Diya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.

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