← Show, don’t tell lesson New set →

Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 787 · 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 feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) tired
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is happy? (a) Ishaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Ishaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Ishaan was happy.
  3. 3.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran was bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is tired? (a) Ishaan was tired. (b) Ishaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Ishaan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) sad
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is happy? (a) Arjun was happy. (b) Arjun’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Arjun laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is cold? (a) Ishaan was cold. (b) Ishaan’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Ishaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Neel’s cheek.”     (a) tired (b) cold (c) sad
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is hungry? (a) Kavya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter. (b) Kavya was hungry. (c) Kavya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is bored? (a) Ishaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Ishaan was bored. (c) Ishaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  11. 11.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) hungry (b) tired (c) scared
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima felt very hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) hungry
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.”     (a) scared (b) cold (c) sad
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) cold
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aarav kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is hungry? (a) Rohan was hungry. (b) Rohan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (c) Rohan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.”     (a) tired (b) angry (c) scared
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is angry? (a) Arjun’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap. (b) Arjun was angry. (c) Arjun stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Simran is bored? (a) Simran was bored. (b) Simran’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Simran drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara was hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  23. 23.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) scared
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is scared? (a) Manav was scared. (b) Manav rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Manav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) hungry
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is happy? (a) Maria was happy. (b) Maria’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Maria hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is happy? (a) Kavya was happy. (b) Kavya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Kavya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) hungry (b) angry (c) sad
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut.”     (a) scared (b) bored (c) happy
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is bored? (a) Sahil’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (b) Sahil was bored. (c) Sahil sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) scared
  33. 33.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya felt very scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya felt very happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Vihaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) happy (b) sad (c) bored
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) hungry
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) scared
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is bored? (a) Tenzin kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Tenzin sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Tenzin was bored.
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) cold (b) angry (c) sad

Answer key

  1. happy
  2. Ishaan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  3. telling
  4. Ishaan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  5. happy
  6. Arjun laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  7. Ishaan’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
  8. sad
  9. Kavya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  10. Ishaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  11. tired
  12. telling
  13. cold
  14. scared
  15. hungry
  16. showing
  17. Rohan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  18. angry
  19. Arjun stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  20. Simran drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  21. showing
  22. telling
  23. angry
  24. Manav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  25. happy
  26. Maria hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  27. Kavya grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  28. angry
  29. scared
  30. Sahil sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  31. showing
  32. happy
  33. telling
  34. telling
  35. telling
  36. sad
  37. bored
  38. cold
  39. Tenzin kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  40. angry

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