← Show, don’t tell lesson New set →

Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 558 · 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 sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is hungry? (a) Farhan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Farhan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Farhan was hungry.
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is bored? (a) Zoya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Zoya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Zoya was bored.
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is tired? (a) Aisha was tired. (b) Aisha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Aisha stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) bored (b) cold (c) hungry
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) tired
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) bored (b) cold (c) happy
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is hungry? (a) Rohan was hungry. (b) Rohan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Rohan’s cheek.
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) sad
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  10. 10.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is sad? (a) Fatima’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Fatima was sad. (c) Fatima counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is tired? (a) Maria gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Maria rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Maria was tired.
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is angry? (a) Saanvi was angry. (b) Saanvi beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Saanvi folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) happy
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is scared? (a) Tears filled Fatima’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (b) Fatima froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Fatima was scared.
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was really sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is sad? (a) Tears filled Aryan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Aryan was sad. (c) Aryan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) tired
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara was really scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya felt very bored.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) cold (b) scared (c) sad
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) cold
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is cold? (a) Vihaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Vihaan was cold. (c) Vihaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) hungry (b) angry (c) tired
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya felt very sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is sad? (a) Aarav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Aarav was sad. (c) Aarav stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Meera gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya was happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.”     (a) cold (b) scared (c) sad
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is tired? (a) Pooja’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Pooja was tired. (c) Pooja’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) bored
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) tired
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin was cold.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is angry? (a) Pooja’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Pooja dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Pooja was angry.
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is sad? (a) Diya was sad. (b) Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing. (c) Diya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is happy? (a) Tara hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Tara was happy. (c) Tara rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.

Answer key

  1. Farhan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  2. Zoya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  3. Aisha rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  4. hungry
  5. tired
  6. happy
  7. Rohan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  8. tired
  9. showing
  10. showing
  11. Fatima’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.
  12. Maria rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  13. Saanvi folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  14. sad
  15. showing
  16. Fatima froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  17. telling
  18. showing
  19. Tears filled Aryan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  20. sad
  21. telling
  22. telling
  23. telling
  24. cold
  25. telling
  26. happy
  27. Vihaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  28. tired
  29. telling
  30. Aarav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  31. showing
  32. telling
  33. sad
  34. Pooja’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  35. bored
  36. tired
  37. telling
  38. Pooja’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.
  39. Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  40. Tara hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.

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