Word Choice-Making Writing Stronger

Multiple Choice

When talking about word choice, what is the difference in a "showing" word and "telling" word?

• 'Showing' words engage the senses and emotions, while 'telling' words provide direct information.
• 'Showing' words are used only in poetry and fiction. Telling words are in nonfiction.

• 'Telling' words evoke strong imagery and feelings.
• 'Showing' words are always longer than 'telling' words with more syllables.

Multiple Choice

Which word is more precise?

• Said

• Whispered

• Walked

• Went

Match

Match the following "Telling" words to the better "Showing" words.

• walked

• dark

• angry

• jogged

• talk

strolled

shadowy

furious

ran

whispered

• strolled

• shadowy

• furious

• ran

• whispered

Open Ended

Rewrite the following sentence to make it "showing" instead of "telling" by using different words and adding more detail:

The cat jumped out of the tree.

Multiple Choice

How does an author's word choice affect the meaning of a text?

• It changes the tone and clarity of the message.

• It only affects the length of the text.

• It makes the text more confusing.

• It has no impact on the reader.