← Show, don’t tell lesson New set →

Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 708 · 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 Vihaan is happy? (a) Vihaan was happy. (b) Vihaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Vihaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) tired
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Riya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) happy (b) tired (c) angry
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) happy
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is sad? (a) Tenzin was sad. (b) Tenzin grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Tenzin’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  6. 6.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is happy? (a) Imran’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Imran was happy. (c) Imran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) bored (b) hungry (c) angry
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) bored (b) scared (c) tired
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was really angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) happy
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is cold? (a) Manav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Manav sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Manav was cold.
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) sad
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is cold? (a) Rohan was cold. (b) Rohan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Rohan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is cold? (a) Aryan was cold. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Aryan’s cheek. (c) Aryan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is happy? (a) Rohan was happy. (b) Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Rohan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is happy? (a) Arjun hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (b) Arjun could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Arjun was happy.
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) hungry (b) angry (c) happy
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran was bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is bored? (a) Arjun sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Arjun was bored. (c) Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is sad? (a) Pooja could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (b) Pooja was sad. (c) Pooja sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is cold? (a) Manav was cold. (b) Manav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (c) Manav froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is sad? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Tenzin’s cheek. (b) Tenzin drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Tenzin was sad.
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is tired? (a) Aarav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Aarav was tired. (c) Aarav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  27. 27.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) hungry
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) angry
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) scared
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel felt very tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) happy
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is sad? (a) Rohan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Rohan was sad. (c) Tears filled Rohan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav was happy. (b) Aarav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) A tear rolled slowly down Aarav’s cheek.
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) hungry (b) bored (c) sad
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is hungry? (a) Fatima’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (b) Fatima kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (c) Fatima was hungry.
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) angry
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is happy? (a) Meera kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Meera was happy. (c) Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) bored
  40. 40.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan was bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing

Answer key

  1. Vihaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  2. scared
  3. happy
  4. happy
  5. Tenzin’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  6. showing
  7. Imran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  8. hungry
  9. telling
  10. scared
  11. telling
  12. sad
  13. Manav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  14. angry
  15. Rohan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  16. Aryan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  17. Rohan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  18. Arjun hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  19. happy
  20. showing
  21. telling
  22. Arjun sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  23. Pooja sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  24. Manav’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
  25. A tear rolled slowly down Tenzin’s cheek.
  26. Aarav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  27. happy
  28. angry
  29. scared
  30. telling
  31. cold
  32. Tears filled Rohan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  33. Aarav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  34. bored
  35. showing
  36. Fatima kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  37. tired
  38. Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  39. bored
  40. telling

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