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. 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 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 verb tells a reader most?
A. Anansi did away B. Anansi went away C. Anansi trotted away 4. Which word is most exact for how the fox left?
5. Which is the most exact way to say how big the dog was?
A. The dog was as tall as the kitchen table. B. The dog was quite big. C. The dog was a size. 6. Why might a writer choose "stretched thin as thread" over "got thin"?
A. It is shorter B. It is easier to spell C. It gives the reader a picture 7. Which sentence is more precise?
A. Something happened to the lamp. B. The lamp went out at eleven o'clock. C. The lamp went out at some point. 8. Which word shows the mouse moved without a sound?
LessonPrint · L.3.3 · Set 7 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Words Chosen for Effect Set 7. Prints on its own sheet.
1. It shows the feeling through the body rather than naming it 2. When being understood exactly matters most 3. Anansi trotted away 4. trotted 5. The dog was as tall as the kitchen table. 6. It gives the reader a picture 7. The lamp went out at eleven o'clock. 8. crept 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.