← Show, don’t tell lesson New set →

Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 957 · 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?
    “Ishaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) sad
  2. 2.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is tired? (a) Saanvi was tired. (b) Saanvi dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Saanvi folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) angry (b) happy (c) sad
  4. 4.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aryan licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is hungry? (a) Yash kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Yash was hungry. (c) Yash dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Dev counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) cold (b) scared (c) bored
  7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is angry? (a) Arjun was angry. (b) Arjun’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Arjun threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  8. 8.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha was hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Priya is angry? (a) Priya was angry. (b) Priya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (c) Priya’s nose turned pink, and she pulled on a woolly cap.
  11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Kabir felt very tired.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) sad (b) happy (c) bored
  13. 13.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Aisha was really hungry.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  14. 14.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is sad? (a) Diya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Diya was sad. (c) Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Riya is angry? (a) Riya folded her arms and glared at her brother. (b) Riya was angry. (c) Riya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Yash rubbed his eyes and nodded off on the sofa.”     (a) bored (b) cold (c) tired
  17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is happy? (a) Ishaan was happy. (b) Ishaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Ishaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) angry (b) hungry (c) bored
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is cold? (a) Ishaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Ishaan was cold. (c) Ishaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Ishaan is scared? (a) Ishaan was scared. (b) Ishaan dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Ishaan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja was really scared.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Manav is scared? (a) Manav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (b) Manav gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (c) Manav was scared.
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aryan is sad? (a) Aryan was sad. (b) Aryan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (c) Tears filled Aryan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Simran beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) cold (b) hungry (c) happy
  25. 25.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is sad? (a) Tenzin was sad. (b) Tenzin folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Tenzin’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  26. 26.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is hungry? (a) Yash’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class. (b) Yash’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter. (c) Yash was hungry.
  27. 27.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi was really sad.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  28. 28.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Simran licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  29. 29.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) hungry
  30. 30.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is hungry? (a) Saanvi was hungry. (b) Saanvi rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (c) Saanvi gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) tired (b) hungry (c) angry
  32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sahil is cold? (a) Sahil rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers. (b) Sahil dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Sahil was cold.
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Dev is bored? (a) Dev sighed and flipped through the same comic again. (b) Dev was bored. (c) Dev stamped his foot and slammed the door.
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Saanvi’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) scared
  35. 35.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Nisha licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  37. 37.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Diya licked her lips as the smell of dosas drifted in.”     (a) bored (b) tired (c) hungry
  38. 38.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  39. 39.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.”     (a) happy (b) angry (c) cold
  40. 40.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sneha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.”     (a) sad (b) scared (c) hungry

Answer key

  1. sad
  2. Saanvi dragged her feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  3. happy
  4. showing
  5. Yash kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  6. bored
  7. Arjun threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  8. telling
  9. showing
  10. Priya stamped her foot and slammed the door.
  11. telling
  12. happy
  13. telling
  14. Diya sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.
  15. Riya folded her arms and glared at her brother.
  16. tired
  17. Ishaan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
  18. angry
  19. Ishaan rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  20. Ishaan froze and held his breath as the floor creaked.
  21. telling
  22. Manav’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.
  23. Tears filled Aryan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  24. happy
  25. Tenzin’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.
  26. Yash’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
  27. telling
  28. showing
  29. happy
  30. Saanvi gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  31. angry
  32. Sahil rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.
  33. Dev sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  34. scared
  35. showing
  36. showing
  37. hungry
  38. showing
  39. happy
  40. hungry

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