Home / English / Printables / Grade 3 / Words Chosen for Effect Words Chosen for Effect is a free printable Grade 3 English worksheet on choosing the word that does the job you want, aligned to Common Core standard L.3.3. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.
One paper per student
Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.
Words Chosen for Effect L.3.3
Name Date
Circle the right answer.
1. When should a writer choose the plainest word?
A. Never — longer words are always better B. Only in stories C. When being understood exactly matters most 2. Which word shows the mouse moved without a sound?
3. Which verb tells a reader most?
A. Anansi trotted away B. Anansi did away C. Anansi went away 4. Which title tells a reader most about the text?
A. Water B. Some Boats C. How a Canal Lock Works 5. Which is the most exact way to say how big the dog was?
A. The dog was quite big. B. The dog was as tall as the kitchen table. C. The dog was a size. 6. Which sentence tells the reader most about the weather?
A. Icy rain stung our faces. B. It was not nice out. C. The weather was bad. 7. Which sentence is more precise?
A. Something happened to the lamp. B. The lamp went out at some point. C. The lamp went out at eleven o'clock. 8. Why does "his stomach dropped" work better than "he was scared"?
A. It shows the feeling through the body rather than naming it B. It uses fewer letters C. It is more formal LessonPrint · L.3.3 · Set 14 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Words Chosen for Effect Set 14. Prints on its own sheet.
1. When being understood exactly matters most 2. crept 3. Anansi trotted away 4. How a Canal Lock Works 5. The dog was as tall as the kitchen table. 6. Icy rain stung our faces. 7. The lamp went out at eleven o'clock. 8. It shows the feeling through the body rather than naming it More practice for L.3.3 Choose words for effect, and recognize the difference between spoken and written English.
Teaching this next? Choosing Words for Effect is the 40-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.
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Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to L.3.3 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.