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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 pupils in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 22 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

Tick the right answer.

1.Which title tells a reader most about the text?
  • A.Some Boats
  • B.Water
  • C.How a Canal Lock Works
2.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
3.Which shows the difference between spoken and written English?
  • A.Writing is always shorter
  • B.Speech uses more full stops
  • C.Speech can be unfinished; writing usually has to be complete
4.Which sentence would you say aloud but not write in a report?
  • A.It was, like, really far.
  • B.The journey was very long.
  • C.The journey was six thousand miles.
5.Which word is most exact for how the fox left?
  • A.moved
  • B.did
  • C.trotted
6.Why might a writer choose "stretched thin as thread" over "got thin"?
  • A.It gives the reader a picture
  • B.It is easier to spell
  • C.It is shorter
7.Why does "his stomach dropped" work better than "he was scared"?
  • A.It uses fewer letters
  • B.It is more formal
  • C.It shows the feeling through the body rather than naming it
8.You are writing dialogue. Should it sound like speech or like a report?
  • A.Like speech, because that is what it is
  • B.Neither
  • C.Like a report, always

LessonPrint · L.3.3 · Set 22 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Words Chosen for Effect

Set 22. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.How a Canal Lock Works
  2. 2.When being understood exactly matters most
  3. 3.Speech can be unfinished; writing usually has to be complete
  4. 4.It was, like, really far.
  5. 5.trotted
  6. 6.It gives the reader a picture
  7. 7.It shows the feeling through the body rather than naming it
  8. 8.Like speech, because that is what it is

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.