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