Show, Don't Tell!
A Grade 3 ELA worksheet focused on developing descriptive writing skills by showing emotions and actions rather than simply stating them.
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Show, Don't Tell!
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In writing, 'Show, Don't Tell' means using descriptive words and actions to help your reader imagine what is happening, instead of just telling them. For example, instead of saying 'The boy was sad,' you could say 'Tears rolled down the boy's cheeks, and his shoulders slumped.'
Read each sentence. Then, rewrite it to 'show' what is happening instead of just 'telling' it.
1. The girl was happy.
2. The boy was scared.
3. The dog was angry.
Fill in the blank with words that 'show' the emotion.
1. When she heard the good news, her stretched into a wide smile.
2. He under his bed, his heart pounding, as thunder boomed outside.
3. The cat's puffed up, and it hissed at the approaching dog.
Which sentence best 'shows' that the character is tired?
She was tired.
Her eyelids drooped, and she yawned widely.
She felt sleepy.
Being tired is no fun.
Look at the picture. Write a sentence that 'shows' how the person is feeling, instead of just telling.
