If you want a memorable and meaningful ESL creative writing activity, here’s one that never fails: teaching students how to “show, don’t tell.” This activity pushes learners beyond simple sentences and into expressive, sensory descriptions. Along the way, they gain richer vocabulary, stronger storytelling skills, and more confidence with English. You can use this exercise in an ESL writing lesson, during ESL classroom activities, or as part of ongoing ESL writing practice for intermediate and advanced learners. Students who normally write matter-of-fact sentences suddenly discover how creative language can transform a scene—and how emotions can shape the world of a story.

Why This Show, Don’t Tell Writing Activity Works

Many English learners default to very literal, direct writing. They master grammar and structure, but their sentences often read like reports: accurate, correct, and completely flat. This is especially true in EFL contexts where textbooks emphasize clarity over creativity.

Teaching descriptive writing changes everything. When students learn how to “show, don’t tell,” they begin to use vocabulary in more expressive ways. Instead of telling the reader “She was sad,” they learn to describe the tears gathering in her eyes, the way her hands tremble, or how her coffee tastes bitter that morning. This shift helps students expand vocabulary through sensory language, strengthen storytelling skills, build emotional awareness, and develop a personal writing style. It also makes writing fun. And when writing is fun, students write more.

ESL Writing Lesson Flow: Show, Don’t Tell With a Guided Scenario

Here is the complete activity you can use in class. It works as a standalone writing task, a warm-up for narrative units, or even as conditional writing practice when you extend the prompt later.

How to Teach This Descriptive ESL Creative Writing Activity

Step 1 – Introduce the Concept of Show, Don’t Tell

Explain to students that good writing invites the reader into the scene. Instead of reporting an emotion, a writer recreates it with sensory details. Give a simple example:

Telling: The man was angry.
Showing: His jaw tightened, and he slammed the mug onto the table.

Students immediately understand the difference.

Step 2 – Explain the Writing Objective of Show, Don’t Tell

Tell students that in this ESL creative writing activity, they must write a short scene without naming any emotions. Their goal is to communicate the feeling only through descriptive details.

Instructional objective: Learn how to show emotion through sensory description instead of naming it.

Time: 15–20 minutes for the first draft.

Step 3 – Present the Guided Scenario

Use this prompt:

A woman (or man) is sitting in a coffee shop. She receives a phone call. The voice on the other end tells her that her husband has just died in a car accident. Describe what she sees. What does she hear? How does her body feel? What does the coffee taste like now? What smells or sounds shift in her awareness? Your job is to show the emotion without naming it. Write one or two paragraphs that reveal how this news transforms her entire experience of the world around her.

This forces students to rely on sensory details and expressive language instead of emotional labels.

Step 4 – Give Students Guided Practice Time

Let them write silently for 15–20 minutes. Encourage them to use vivid verbs, focus on physical reactions, describe the environment through the character’s changed perspective, and experiment with metaphor and imagery.

Step 5 – Debrief Show, Don’t Tell, and Share

Have students read in pairs or small groups. Ask listeners to guess the emotion. If they can identify it without being told, the writing succeeded. This is an excellent way to reinforce the skill and strengthen their confidence.

Optional Extension Activities

For deeper ESL writing practice, ask students to rewrite the scene using a different emotion, such as joy or fear. They can also transform the scene into dialogue, write a conditional variation (“How would the scene change if she were not alone?”), Or add a second paragraph describing the character as she leaves the café. These extensions reinforce creativity, emotional awareness, and narrative flow.

Conclusion

Teaching “show, don’t tell” through a guided, sensory-rich scenario is one of the most effective ESL classroom activities for building descriptive writing skills. It encourages students to experiment with language, communicate emotion in subtle ways, and develop a writing voice they can use in stories, essays, and real-world communication.