Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 700 · 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 sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is sad? (a) Ishaan was sad. (b) Ishaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Ishaan’s cheek.
2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is cold? (a) Aryan was cold. (b) Aryan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Aryan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is sad? (a) Aarav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Tears filled Aarav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Aarav was sad.
4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Dev’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.” (a) telling (b) showing
5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Simran laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) cold
6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is angry? (a) Priya threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (b) Priya was angry. (c) Priya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is happy? (a) Priya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Priya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Priya was happy.
8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Farhan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) scared (b) sad (c) angry
9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is scared? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Aryan’s cheek. (b) Aryan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Aryan was scared.
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is scared? (a) Maria gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. (b) Maria was scared. (c) Maria dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is hungry? (a) Fatima kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Fatima’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Fatima was hungry.
12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is bored? (a) Neel’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Neel counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (c) Neel was bored.
13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel felt very bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha felt very hungry.” (a) showing (b) telling
15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) bored
16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) scared (b) happy (c) tired
17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.” (a) hungry (b) happy (c) bored
18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is sad? (a) Farhan was sad. (b) Farhan’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Farhan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) happy (b) angry (c) sad
20. 20.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) happy
21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin felt very bored.” (a) telling (b) showing
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is happy? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Saanvi’s cheek. (b) Saanvi was happy. (c) Saanvi grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya was really cold.” (a) showing (b) telling
24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is sad? (a) Joseph kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Joseph sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Joseph was sad.
25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is sad? (a) Riya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (b) Riya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (c) Riya was sad.
26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (b) Aarav sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Aarav was happy.
27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”” (a) telling (b) showing
28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.” (a) sad (b) cold (c) happy
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is tired? (a) Saanvi was tired. (b) Saanvi sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Saanvi dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.” (a) angry (b) sad (c) cold
31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is sad? (a) Vihaan’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Vihaan was sad. (c) Vihaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kavya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) telling (b) showing
33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Rohan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.” (a) telling (b) showing
34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Nisha is bored? (a) Nisha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (b) Nisha sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Nisha was bored.
35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya felt very angry.” (a) showing (b) telling
36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Kavya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.” (a) happy (b) tired (c) sad
37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.” (a) tired (b) cold (c) hungry
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.” (a) scared (b) sad (c) hungry
39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.” (a) hungry (b) angry (c) happy
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is tired? (a) Sneha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Sneha hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Sneha was tired.

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