Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 646 · 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 feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tenzin beamed and hugged everyone in sight.” (a) happy (b) hungry (c) tired
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Sahil was tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Saanvi’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.” (a) hungry (b) happy (c) angry
4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Aryan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) telling (b) showing
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is scared? (a) Aarav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Aarav was scared. (c) Aarav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tears filled Aarav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) happy (b) sad (c) tired
7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Neel rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.” (a) showing (b) telling
8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Nisha drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) telling (b) showing
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is bored? (a) Tara was bored. (b) Tara drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Tara laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Sahil’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.” (a) scared (b) sad (c) tired
11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya stamped her foot and slammed the door.” (a) sad (b) angry (c) tired
12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Yash kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) showing (b) telling
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sahil was really hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav was happy. (b) Aarav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Aarav folded his arms and glared at his brother.
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) hungry (b) happy (c) tired
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) scared (b) bored (c) tired
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) cold
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is bored? (a) Imran was bored. (b) Imran counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Imran’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
19. 19.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) showing (b) telling
20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) telling (b) showing
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) scared
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is bored? (a) Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Ishaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Ishaan was bored.
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is angry? (a) Pooja’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Pooja’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Pooja was angry.
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tenzin kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) scared (b) cold (c) bored
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is cold? (a) Maria’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Maria was cold. (c) Maria grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.” (a) hungry (b) tired (c) happy
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is bored? (a) Sneha was bored. (b) Sneha’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Sneha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) angry (b) cold (c) bored
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is hungry? (a) Zoya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Zoya was hungry. (c) Zoya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is angry? (a) Aarav was angry. (b) Aarav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Aarav folded his arms and glared at his brother.
33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is tired? (a) Imran was tired. (b) Imran licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Imran could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is hungry? (a) Aryan stamped his foot and slammed the door. (b) Aryan gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Aryan was hungry.
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.” (a) showing (b) telling
36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is cold? (a) Tara rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Tara’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Tara was cold.
37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is scared? (a) Rohan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Rohan was scared. (c) Rohan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) hungry
39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is tired? (a) Ishaan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Ishaan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Ishaan was tired.
40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev felt very scared.” (a) showing (b) telling

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