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. You are writing dialogue. Should it sound like speech or like a report?
A. Neither B. Like a report, always C. Like speech, because that is what it is 2. Why might a writer choose "stretched thin as thread" over "got thin"?
A. It is easier to spell B. It gives the reader a picture C. It is shorter 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. How many syllables are in "important"?
5. Which sentence would you say aloud but not write in a report?
A. The journey was six thousand miles. B. It was, like, really far. C. The journey was very long. 6. Which title tells a reader most about the text?
A. Water B. How a Canal Lock Works C. Some Boats 7. When should a writer choose the plainest word?
A. Only in stories B. When being understood exactly matters most C. Never — longer words are always better 8. Where does "rabbit" split into syllables?
A. ra / bbit B. rab / bit C. rabb / it LessonPrint · L.3.3 · Set 20 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Words Chosen for Effect Set 20. Prints on its own sheet.
1. Like speech, because that is what it is 2. It gives the reader a picture 3. It shows the feeling through the body rather than naming it 4. Three 5. It was, like, really far. 6. How a Canal Lock Works 7. When being understood exactly matters most 8. rab / bit 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.