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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.

Set 20 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Words Chosen for Effect

L.3.3

NameDate

Circle the right answer.

1.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
2.Which verb tells a reader most?
  • A.Anansi trotted away
  • B.Anansi went away
  • C.Anansi did away
3.When should a writer choose the plainest word?
  • A.When being understood exactly matters most
  • B.Only in stories
  • C.Never — longer words are always better
4.Which sentence tells the reader most about the weather?
  • A.The weather was bad.
  • B.Icy rain stung our faces.
  • C.It was not nice out.
5.Why does "his stomach dropped" work better than "he was scared"?
  • A.It uses fewer letters
  • B.It shows the feeling through the body rather than naming it
  • C.It is more formal
6.Which is the most exact way to say how big the dog was?
  • A.The dog was a size.
  • B.The dog was as tall as the kitchen table.
  • C.The dog was quite big.
7.Which sentence is more precise?
  • A.The lamp went out at some point.
  • B.The lamp went out at eleven o'clock.
  • C.Something happened to the lamp.
8.Which word best shows that the girl was very hungry?
  • A.ate
  • B.gobbled
  • C.had

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. 1.It gives the reader a picture
  2. 2.Anansi trotted away
  3. 3.When being understood exactly matters most
  4. 4.Icy rain stung our faces.
  5. 5.It shows the feeling through the body rather than naming it
  6. 6.The dog was as tall as the kitchen table.
  7. 7.The lamp went out at eleven o'clock.
  8. 8.gobbled

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.