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. Why might a writer choose "stretched thin as thread" over "got thin"?
A. It gives the reader a picture B. It is shorter C. It is easier to spell 2. Which title tells a reader most about the text?
A. Some Boats B. Water C. How a Canal Lock Works 3. 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. 4. Which word best shows that the girl was very hungry?
5. Why might a writer choose "whispered" instead of "said"?
A. It is a shorter word B. It tells the reader how the words were spoken C. It is easier to spell 6. Which sentence tells the reader most about the weather?
A. It was not nice out. B. Icy rain stung our faces. C. The weather was bad. 7. Which verb tells a reader most?
A. Anansi went away B. Anansi did away C. Anansi trotted away 8. Which is the most exact way to say how big the dog was?
A. The dog was quite big. B. The dog was a size. C. The dog was as tall as the kitchen table. LessonPrint · L.3.3 · Set 16 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Words Chosen for Effect Set 16. Prints on its own sheet.
1. It gives the reader a picture 2. How a Canal Lock Works 3. The lamp went out at eleven o'clock. 4. gobbled 5. It tells the reader how the words were spoken 6. Icy rain stung our faces. 7. Anansi trotted away 8. The dog was as tall as the kitchen table. 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.
All Grade 3 worksheets
Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to L.3.3 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.