← Show, don’t tell lesson New set →

Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 250 · 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?
    “Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) happy
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is bored? (a) Ananya’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Ananya was bored. (c) Ananya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is bored? (a) Fatima gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Fatima sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Fatima was bored.
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is sad? (a) Neel hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Neel’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Neel was sad.
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) tired
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) hungry
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) happy
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) cold
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is sad? (a) Ishaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Ishaan was sad. (c) Ishaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) angry
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera was cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is scared? (a) Tara was scared. (b) Tara’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Tara’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is sad? (a) Zoya was sad. (b) Zoya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Zoya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) bored
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is bored? (a) Priya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Priya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Priya was bored.
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is hungry? (a) Meera kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Meera drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Meera was hungry.
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is hungry? (a) Nisha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Nisha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Nisha was hungry.
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is tired? (a) Meera gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Meera was tired. (c) Meera’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya was really hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was really angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) bored
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) bored
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is scared? (a) Nisha’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Nisha was scared. (c) Nisha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) tired
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) scared
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is hungry? (a) Meera’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Meera was hungry. (c) Meera licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) hungry (b) cold (c) bored
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha felt very sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Kavya’s cheek.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is cold? (a) Vihaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Vihaan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Vihaan was cold.
  40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) showing (b) telling

Answer key

  1. happy
  2. telling
  3. Ananya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  4. Fatima sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  5. Neel’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  6. showing
  7. showing
  8. showing
  9. telling
  10. tired
  11. bored
  12. happy
  13. telling
  14. sad
  15. Ishaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  16. sad
  17. telling
  18. telling
  19. showing
  20. Tara’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.
  21. Zoya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  22. angry
  23. Priya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  24. Meera kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  25. Nisha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  26. Meera’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  27. telling
  28. telling
  29. scared
  30. sad
  31. Nisha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  32. hungry
  33. happy
  34. Meera licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  35. bored
  36. telling
  37. showing
  38. showing
  39. Vihaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  40. showing

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