← Show, don’t tell lesson New set →

Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 922 · 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?
    “Kavya felt very happy.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is sad? (a) Priya was sad. (b) Priya sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (c) Priya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is scared? (a) Ishaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Ishaan was scared. (c) Ishaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha felt very bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  5. 5.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.”     (a) bored (b) hungry (c) scared
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is sad? (a) Saanvi was sad. (b) Saanvi froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Tears filled Saanvi’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is bored? (a) Diya was bored. (b) Diya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home. (c) Diya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.”     (a) sad (b) angry (c) cold
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan felt very tired.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is happy? (a) Saanvi was happy. (b) Saanvi hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Saanvi’s knees shook, and she hid behind the door.
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel was bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  12. 12.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was bored.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is tired? (a) Yash grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Yash was tired. (c) Yash’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is angry? (a) Aryan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Aryan’s cheek. (c) Aryan was angry.
  15. 15.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir was angry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is sad? (a) Rohan was sad. (b) Rohan threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!” (c) A tear rolled slowly down Rohan’s cheek.
  18. 18.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is hungry? (a) Meera’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (b) Meera was hungry. (c) Meera licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tara is scared? (a) Tara shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Tara froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Tara was scared.
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is scared? (a) Joseph was scared. (b) Joseph laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Joseph’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  22. 22.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) Tears filled Aarav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  23. 23.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun felt very hungry.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  24. 24.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was angry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tears filled Ishaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.”     (a) angry (b) sad (c) scared
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) scared (b) sad (c) tired
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is angry? (a) Manav gripped Mum’s hand and squeezed his eyes shut. (b) Manav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. (c) Manav was angry.
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is angry? (a) Priya was angry. (b) Priya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (c) Priya stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Fatima stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Imran gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  31. 31.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Neel stamped his foot and slammed the door.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Zoya kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) happy
  33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) cold
  34. 34.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ananya is angry? (a) Ananya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Ananya’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet. (c) Ananya was angry.
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is cold? (a) Zoya was cold. (b) Zoya rubbed her eyes and nodded off on the sofa. (c) Zoya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  36. 36.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Fatima is happy? (a) Fatima was happy. (b) Tears filled Fatima’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Fatima beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) tired (b) sad (c) angry
  38. 38.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is bored? (a) Tears filled Aarav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (b) Aarav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Aarav was bored.
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Joseph’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) tired (b) happy (c) angry

Answer key

  1. telling
  2. Priya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  3. Ishaan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  4. telling
  5. scared
  6. Tears filled Saanvi’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
  7. Diya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.
  8. cold
  9. telling
  10. Saanvi hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.
  11. telling
  12. telling
  13. Yash’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  14. Aryan folded his arms and glared at his brother.
  15. showing
  16. telling
  17. A tear rolled slowly down Rohan’s cheek.
  18. Meera licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.
  19. Tara froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  20. Joseph’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.
  21. showing
  22. Aarav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  23. telling
  24. telling
  25. sad
  26. tired
  27. Manav’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists.
  28. Priya stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  29. showing
  30. showing
  31. showing
  32. hungry
  33. cold
  34. Ananya folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  35. Zoya’s teeth chattered, and she pulled her shawl tighter.
  36. Fatima beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  37. tired
  38. Aarav drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.
  39. showing
  40. happy

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