<p>can anyone show examples of how to SHOW instead of TELL..i'm having problems with that thanks!</p>
<p>Try to use action verbs instead of words like was, is, etc...</p>
<p>my essay is one big tell.</p>
<p>Like, instead of "I was nervous in the hospital waiting room," say "Sweat dripped down my brow. I was tapping my foot click-click-click against the hard linoleum. The door opened and I started, nearly yelping in my surprise."</p>
<p>Instead of "I was overjoyed that my dad survived," try "Could it be possible? My eyes widened and I leaped into my daddy's arms. 'My God, my GOD,' I blubbered as I laughed and clutched him tightly, amazed that he was alive."</p>
<p>Et cetera. If you find yourself explaining perspectives or emotions simply or in only a sentence or word, chances are you need to go back and SHOW how happy you were or how much you were hurting or whatever.</p>
<p>I think many people on this board think that SHOWING is the only way to do an essay. A tell is just as good half the time.....the other half the time ppl did something stupid :-)</p>
<p>I agree with Aniviel completely. Creating situation-specific images is an amazing tactic for writing a good essay. Of course, showing isn't the only way to do an essay, especially if it's overdone. Your best bet is to make your essay a combination of showing and telling to avoid making it overdone yet still create a picture in the reader's mind of what's going on. I personally like to start my essays by showing, start in the moment, and then delve into how the moment affected me in the remainder of my essay.</p>