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

Why authors pick certain words

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

  1. Short, choppy sentences always make a story feel sleepy.

    Circle one:   True   False

  2. Ben writes 'The stars ___ in the night sky.' Which word makes the sky feel magical?

    • were
    • sat
    • sparkled

  3. A story says: 'The baby bird ___ for its dinner.' Which word makes the bird sound small and sweet?

    • squeaked
    • roared
    • bellowed

  4. Which sentence sounds scarier, even though both describe the same action?

    • She crept into the room.
    • She entered the room.
    • She walked into the room.

  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. A writer can make the same rainstorm feel cozy or frightening just by changing the words.

    Circle one:   True   False

  7. Mia and Leo read 'The old house sat quietly.' Mia says it feels calm. Leo says it feels spooky. What does this show?

    • Word choice never affects feelings
    • Different readers can notice different effects from the same words
    • Only one of them can be right, no in-between

  8. Leo wants his story to make the reader feel worried for a little lost puppy. Whose eyes should he tell the story through?

    • the little lost puppy
    • a sleepy cat on a warm sofa
    • a tall, still lamp post

  9. Mia wants her bedtime story to feel calm and dreamy. Which opening should she pick?

    • Waves smashed. Wind screamed. The boat spun.
    • The sea is big. It has water. Fish live in it.
    • The sea rolled on and on, soft and slow, under a wide and sleepy sky.

  10. An author writes: 'The door creaked. Silence. Then footsteps.' What do the very short sentences do?

    • They are just there to fill the page
    • They build tension, like something is about to happen
    • They make the moment feel sleepy
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 · Short, choppy sentences make you read in quick jumps, which feels tense. Long, flowing sentences are the ones that can feel sleepy and calm.
  2. sparkled · Sparkled adds a twinkly, magical feeling. Were and sat just state a plain fact.
  3. squeaked · Squeaked is a tiny sound, just right for a baby bird. Roared and bellowed are huge sounds that belong to big, loud animals.
  4. She crept into the room. · Crept suggests sneaking, which makes the moment feel scarier than a plain word like walked.
  5. annoyed, angry, furious · Annoyed is a small cross feeling, angry is bigger, and furious is the biggest of all.
  6. True · Words like tapped and pattered feel cozy. Words like battered feel frightening. Same storm, different words.
  7. Different readers can notice different effects from the same words · The same words can create different effects for different readers, and both reactions can be valid.
  8. the little lost puppy · Seeing the big, noisy street through the tiny puppy's eyes makes the reader feel its worry. The other eyes would make the same street feel calm or plain.
  9. The sea rolled on and on, soft and slow, under a wide and sleepy sky. · Long, flowing sentences with gentle words create the calm, dreamy mood Mia wants.
  10. They build tension, like something is about to happen · Short, choppy sentences make you read in quick bursts, which feels tense and jumpy.
Worksheet · LightMySky