Activity on ‘Showing vs.

telling’
Turn the sentences in bold into more descriptive ones.

1. There was a loud storm last night.

Smash! The window ……………………………, the wind …………………………. And the door
……………….. shut.

2. She was afraid.

Finding herself alone in such a creepy place, her hands were …………………………….., her
knees were like ………………….. Covering her mouth with her hand, she was breathing
………………………….. and fast. Her heart was ………………………….and she felt herself
………………………

3. She was feeling hot.

With a ………… ……….. face and ……………………….. running down her face and back, and a
drenched hairline, she was …………………………… herself with her hand and moving
………………………., …………………………………….. for breath. She would really think twice
before she ran a marathon in summer again.

4. He was shocked.
With his mouth ……………………… …………………….. and eyes ………………… ……………….,his
heart was ……………………………… ……………………. and was ………………………….for air.

5. She is a shy girl.

When she finds herself surrounded by strangers, she ………………, looks ……………. and if
forced to speak it would be ……………………… and with her arms ………………… as much as
possible, she would stand ………………………. From others and ………………. behind things.
 6. He was nervous.
It was the day of his final results. With his username and password already memorized,
he would log into the college results link every minute, sitting in front of his computer
with ………………………………………………………. , ……………… his feet and hands, and
………………………….so hard, he could feel them bleeding. His mum’s calling ‘Are the results
out?’ struck him like lightning and with a ……………………………………………….. answered,
‘pending, mum.’

7. She felt embarrassed.

It was the night she had been anticipating forever. She spent days and days preparing
what to wear and trying out the best hairstyle and makeup colours. She headed to the
venue of the prom night feeling like a princess. Entering the gate, she heard a ‘click’ and
refusing to believe what had happened, she saw it rolling in front of her. ‘Yes that’s my
shoe heel’. The photographer was shooting everyone on entering. …………………….., she
was hanging her ………….. low and holding …………. her tears, rolling her …………. in all
directions, wishing she hadn’t been seen.

8. He was feeling so tired.

After a long night writing the report, he was ……………………… in his chair and
………………….. his …………………… ……………… eyes trying to keep them open.

9. She was feeling so cold.

It was a typically freezing December day and it was her first day at the new job. She was
increasing her pace to feel warmer, ………………… herself and …………………… her hands
together. She could see her ………….. in the air and felt her eyes ………………. She was
wondering if it was just the frosty weather or her anxiety about the new job that kept
her …………………… like that.
 10. She was excited to be in the stadium for the first time and see her favourite
player in the flesh.
Jumping up and down and clasping her hands, she felt her heart pounding as Mo Salah
showed up on the field. The largest smile ever was on her face and her eyes seemed to
be going to ……… ………………..