← Show, don’t tell lesson New set →

Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 735 · 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.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Diya felt very hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan felt very cold.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is tired? (a) Imran was tired. (b) Imran dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Imran gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav felt very sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is bored? (a) Diya was bored. (b) Diya rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Diya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is hungry? (a) Saanvi was hungry. (b) Saanvi’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (c) Saanvi counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  7. 7.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is happy? (a) Farhan beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Farhan was happy. (c) Farhan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  9. 9.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut.”     (a) scared (b) bored (c) hungry
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) scared
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara was hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Aisha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is sad? (a) Tara was sad. (b) Tara beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Tara sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  16. 16.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is happy? (a) Meera’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (b) Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Meera was happy.
  17. 17.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) angry (b) scared (c) hungry
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) angry
  19. 19.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) sad (b) cold (c) scared
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is sad? (a) Tenzin grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Tenzin’s cheek. (c) Tenzin was sad.
  21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is happy? (a) Sahil kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Sahil laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Sahil was happy.
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Farhan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) sad (b) cold (c) scared
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is cold? (a) Imran was cold. (b) Imran rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (c) Imran’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Dev felt very sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.”     (a) tired (b) bored (c) cold
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is scared? (a) Farhan was scared. (b) Farhan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked. (c) Farhan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Imran’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) sad
  29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is happy? (a) Simran beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Simran was happy. (c) Simran’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is sad? (a) Dev was sad. (b) Dev dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Dev sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) cold
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aisha dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) tired
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is scared? (a) Saanvi’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Saanvi’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door. (c) Saanvi was scared.
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Meera licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) tired
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is cold? (a) Vihaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Vihaan was cold. (c) Vihaan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi felt very angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is tired? (a) Aryan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Tears filled Aryan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Aryan was tired.
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) scared

Answer key

  1. telling
  2. telling
  3. Imran dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  4. telling
  5. Diya sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  6. Saanvi’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  7. showing
  8. Farhan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  9. scared
  10. scared
  11. telling
  12. showing
  13. showing
  14. Tara sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  15. showing
  16. Meera hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  17. scared
  18. angry
  19. scared
  20. A tear rolled slowly down Tenzin’s cheek.
  21. Sahil laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  22. cold
  23. Imran rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  24. telling
  25. showing
  26. cold
  27. Farhan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  28. tired
  29. Simran beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  30. Dev sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  31. cold
  32. tired
  33. Saanvi’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  34. hungry
  35. telling
  36. Vihaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  37. telling
  38. telling
  39. Aryan rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.
  40. scared

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