Show Don’t Tell

Telling: “She was scared” — states the emotion
Showing: “Her hands shook. She pressed them into her lap.” — physical action carries the feeling
Ask: what would someone do when feeling this?

Concrete vs Abstract

Abstract: “The room was messy”
Concrete: “Three mugs on the floor, not near each other”
Name the exact thing, not the category it belongs to

Three Traps

Emotion state words (“she was devastated”)
Vague atmosphere (“everything felt strange”)
Clichéd body metaphors (“her heart sank”)

What AQA Rewards

Specific sensory and physical detail that carries emotion without naming it
Named objects, counted things, observed gestures
The reader is made to do the emotional work, not told the answer

This topic summary covers Knowledge Organiser: Showing Emotion Concretely within Showing Emotion and Thinking Concretely for GCSE English Language. Revise Showing Emotion and Thinking Concretely in Writing: Show Don't Tell for GCSE English Language with 10 exam-style questions and 4 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 6 of 6 in this topic. Use this topic summary to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.

Practice questions for Showing Emotion and Thinking Concretely

Which sentence shows emotion rather than telling it?

A. She pressed both hands flat against the door, as if the wood itself might hear her.
B. She was terrified as she walked up to the door.
C. She felt a huge sense of dread when she arrived.
D. It was scary and she did not want to be there.

1 markfoundation

Which sentence uses the most concrete, specific detail?

A. The room was untidy and uncomfortable.
B. A coat hung over the lampshade. Three mugs on the floor, not near each other.
C. There was a strange atmosphere in the house.
D. Everything in the flat felt different now he was gone.

1 markfoundation

Quick recall flashcards

What is the difference between “concrete” and “abstract” detail in creative writing?

Abstract: describes the category of an experience — “the room was messy”, “everything felt strange”, “there was tension”. The reader is told what to think. Concrete: names the specific thing that creates that impression — “three mugs on the floor, not near each other”, “the same chipped paint on the doorstep, but different names on the buzzer”. The rule: name the exact object, not the category it belongs to. Counted, named, specific things are more powerful than adjectives that summarise them.

What does “show, don’t tell” mean in creative writing, and why does it matter in the exam?

Show, don’t tell means conveying emotion through physical action or specific concrete detail rather than by naming the emotion directly. Telling: “She was scared.” — reader is passive Showing: “Her hands shook. She pressed them flat against the door.” — reader does the emotional work Why it matters: AQA Q5 rewards “crafting language for effect”. Asserting emotions (“she was devastated”) is a lower-band pattern. Conveying the same emotion through a specific physical response is the higher-band technique.

⚠️ The Three Common “Telling” Traps

Knowledge Organiser: Showing Emotion Concretely