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 pupils 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 pupil
Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.
Words Chosen for Effect L.3.3
Name Date
Tick 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. Why might a writer choose "stretched thin as thread" over "got thin"?
A. It is shorter B. It is easier to spell C. It gives the reader a picture 3. 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 4. Which word is most exact for how the fox left?
5. How many syllables are in "important"?
6. Which shows the difference between spoken and written English?
A. Writing is always shorter B. Speech can be unfinished; writing usually has to be complete C. Speech uses more full stops 7. You are writing dialogue. Should it sound like speech or like a report?
A. Like speech, because that is what it is B. Like a report, always C. Neither 8. Which title tells a reader most about the text?
A. Water B. Some Boats C. How a Canal Lock Works LessonPrint · L.3.3 · Set 18 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Words Chosen for Effect Set 18. Prints on its own sheet.
1. When being understood exactly matters most 2. It gives the reader a picture 3. It shows the feeling through the body rather than naming it 4. trotted 5. Three 6. Speech can be unfinished; writing usually has to be complete 7. Like speech, because that is what it is 8. How a Canal Lock Works More practice for L.3.3 Choose words for effect, and recognise 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.