How Authors Create Effects · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.
En anglais

Why authors pick certain words

English · English Thinking · ages 7-9
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Short sentences always make a story feel sleepy, whatever words the author uses.

    Circle one:   True   False

  2. Ben writes 'The stars ___ in the night sky.' Which word best adds a bright, twinkling picture?

    • were
    • sat
    • sparkled

  3. A story says 'The baby bird ___ for its dinner.' Which word best suggests a small, high sound?

    • squeaked
    • roared
    • bellowed

  4. Which sentence best suggests slow, quiet movement that could make a scene feel sneaky?

    • She crept along the hedge.
    • She marched along the hedge.
    • She hurried along the hedge.

  5. Which list puts the words in order from a little bit cross to very, very cross?

    • furious, angry, annoyed
    • angry, furious, annoyed
    • annoyed, angry, furious

  6. Changing 'The rain tapped the roof' to 'The rain battered the roof' can make the rain seem fiercer.

    Circle one:   True   False

  7. Mia and Leo read 'The empty hall was quiet.' Mia calls the hall peaceful. Leo calls it lonely. What does this show?

    • The words have no effect on either description
    • Readers can describe the same passage differently
    • Only one reader is allowed to describe the hall

  8. Leo wants readers to understand a lost puppy's worry. Which storytelling choice helps most directly?

    • Share what the lost puppy notices and fears
    • Share what a sleeping cat dreams on its sofa
    • Share how a lamp post looks beside the street

  9. Mia wants her bedtime story to feel calm and dreamy. Which opening best supports that effect?

    • Waves smashed against the rocks while the wind screamed and the little boat spun in the storm.
    • The sea is large and contains salt water, many kinds of fish, and plants that grow below its surface.
    • The sea rolled on and on, soft and slow, under a wide and sleepy sky.

  10. An author writes 'The door creaked. I waited. Footsteps came.' How can the short sentences affect this scene?

    • They guarantee a peaceful feeling for everyone
    • They add stops that can build a tense feeling
    • They remove any need to notice the word choices
LightMySky · lightmysky.comW1-mt_QB4qIGJIIj-s1

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Why authors pick certain words W1-mt_QB4qIGJIIj-s1

  1. False · Sentence length does not fix a passage's mood. Short sentences with danger words can build tension.
  2. sparkled · Sparkled describes bright, twinkling light. Were and sat do not add that detail.
  3. squeaked · Squeaked suggests a small, high sound. Roared and bellowed suggest much louder sounds.
  4. She crept along the hedge. · Crept means moving slowly and quietly. That can suggest sneaking, though it does not prove there is danger.
  5. annoyed, angry, furious · Annoyed is a small cross feeling, angry is bigger, and furious is the biggest of all.
  6. True · Tapped suggests light hits. Battered suggests repeated hard hits, so the new description can seem fiercer.
  7. Readers can describe the same passage differently · They give different descriptions of the same hall. Quiet may suggest peace to one reader and loneliness to another.
  8. Share what the lost puppy notices and fears · Sharing the puppy's experience gives readers direct clues about its worry. Other perspectives could still mention the puppy.
  9. The sea rolled on and on, soft and slow, under a wide and sleepy sky. · The flowing sentence with soft, slow and sleepy best supports Mia's calm, dreamy effect. Length alone is not enough.
  10. They add stops that can build a tense feeling · Each sentence ends with a stop. In this scene, those stops can make readers wait for what comes next.
Worksheet · LightMySky