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. 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. 2. When should a writer choose the plainest word?
A. Never — longer words are always better B. When being understood exactly matters most C. Only in stories 3. Why does "his stomach dropped" work better than "he was scared"?
A. It is more formal B. It shows the feeling through the body rather than naming it C. It uses fewer letters 4. Which title tells a reader most about the text?
A. How a Canal Lock Works B. Some Boats C. Water 5. Which word shows the mouse moved without a sound?
6. Which word best shows that the girl was very hungry?
7. 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 8. Which is the most exact way to say how big the dog was?
A. The dog was a size. B. The dog was quite big. C. The dog was as tall as the kitchen table. LessonPrint · L.3.3 · Set 23 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Words Chosen for Effect Set 23. Prints on its own sheet.
1. Icy rain stung our faces. 2. When being understood exactly matters most 3. It shows the feeling through the body rather than naming it 4. How a Canal Lock Works 5. crept 6. gobbled 7. It tells the reader how the words were spoken 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.