← Show, don’t tell lesson New set →

Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 911 · 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 Nisha is scared? (a) Tears filled Nisha’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (b) Nisha was scared. (c) Nisha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Riya was sad.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is bored? (a) Farhan was bored. (b) Tears filled Farhan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Farhan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  4. 4.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is scared? (a) Arjun was scared. (b) Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Arjun’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is cold? (a) Meera beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (b) Meera rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Meera was cold.
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) tired (b) bored (c) cold
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) scared
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara felt very sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  9. 9.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is bored? (a) Saanvi drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Saanvi could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Saanvi was bored.
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is tired? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Zoya’s cheek. (b) Zoya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner. (c) Zoya was tired.
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is hungry? (a) Pooja gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Pooja’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists. (c) Pooja was hungry.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Farhan is hungry? (a) Farhan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Farhan was hungry. (c) Farhan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Aisha’s cheek.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) sad
  14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is cold? (a) Tenzin sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (b) Tenzin shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Tenzin was cold.
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya was tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is tired? (a) Arjun was tired. (b) Arjun could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Arjun sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kavya is bored? (a) Kavya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Kavya was bored. (c) Kavya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  20. 20.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tears filled Meera’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja felt very angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  22. 22.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) cold (b) happy (c) tired
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is scared? (a) Meera was scared. (b) Meera beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Meera’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  24. 24.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is cold? (a) Riya’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Riya was cold. (c) Riya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) angry
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Saanvi’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) hungry
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) showing (b) telling
  28. 28.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) hungry (b) scared (c) tired
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Manav was really happy.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) happy (b) hungry (c) sad
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is cold? (a) Arjun shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Arjun was cold. (c) Arjun counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  32. 32.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Sahil’s cheek.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) bored
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is sad? (a) Sahil was sad. (b) Sahil sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing. (c) Sahil counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  35. 35.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Zoya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) happy
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Maria drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) bored
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.”     (a) bored (b) happy (c) sad
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is happy? (a) Neel rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (b) Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (c) Neel was happy.
  39. 39.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is angry? (a) Sahil’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (b) Sahil was angry. (c) Sahil laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) scared

Answer key

  1. Nisha’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  2. telling
  3. Farhan kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  4. Arjun’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  5. Meera rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.
  6. tired
  7. scared
  8. telling
  9. Saanvi drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  10. Zoya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.
  11. Pooja gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  12. Farhan kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  13. sad
  14. showing
  15. Tenzin shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  16. showing
  17. telling
  18. Arjun could barely keep his eyes open at dinner.
  19. Kavya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  20. showing
  21. telling
  22. cold
  23. Meera’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  24. Riya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  25. scared
  26. sad
  27. showing
  28. tired
  29. telling
  30. hungry
  31. Arjun shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  32. telling
  33. sad
  34. Sahil sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
  35. sad
  36. bored
  37. bored
  38. Neel grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
  39. Sahil’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  40. scared

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