Words That Do More Than They Say is a free printable Grade 2 English worksheet on spotting a comparison inside a line, aligned to Common Core standard RL.2.4. It prints 2 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions, 22 of them with 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.
Set 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
22 of these 25 sets ask different questions — this skill does not have 25 questions to give. The rest reorder them, so no two pupils have the same paper in front of them.
Words That Do More Than They Say
RL.2.4
NameDate
Read the text, then answer the questions.
1.Read the text, then answer the questions.
Fog Morning
The hill has gone. The wood has gone.
The postbox stands in a cloud, alone.
No sheep, no gate, no crooked tree —
only the ten short steps I see.
I walk. The ten steps walk with me.
The gate appears. And then the tree.
The hill comes back. The wood comes back.
The fog rolls off along the track.
1. "The ten steps walk with me" — can steps walk? What does the line really mean?
2. The tree is "crooked". What does crooked mean?
3. The fog "rolls off". What does that tell you?
2.Read the text, then answer the questions.
Rain on the Roof
Rain on the roof, rain on the road,
rain on the back of a slow brown toad.
Rain on the window, rain on the pane,
rain on the roses, rain, rain, rain.
Rain in the gutter, rain in the drain,
rain till the puddle is deep as a lane.
Rain on the roof, rain on the road —
and out comes the sun for the slow brown toad.
1. The puddle is "deep as a lane". What does that mean?
2. "Deep as a lane" compares two things. What is being compared?
3. What is a "gutter" on a house?
LessonPrint · RL.2.4 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Words That Do More Than They Say
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. No — it means the circle of ten steps you can see moves along as you move. 2. Crooked means bent, not straight — the crooked tree in the fog. 3. The fog rolls off — it moves away along the track, turning over as it goes.
2.1. It is very wide and deep — as big across as a small road. 2. The puddle is compared with a lane, to show how big it has got. 3. The channel along the edge of a roof that carries rainwater away.
Questions about Words That Do More Than They Say
What does the Words That Do More Than They Say worksheet cover?
It practises spotting a comparison inside a line — 2 questions for Grade 2, all on Common Core RL.2.4: Notice rhyme, repeated lines and beat, and say what they add. The instruction to pupils is “Read the text, then answer the questions”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which Common Core standard does Words That Do More Than They Say practise?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.4 — RL.2.4, in the Reading: Literature domain for Grade 2. The published standard reads: “Describe how words and phrases (e.g., regular beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines) supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song.” The worksheet assesses that standard rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
Words That Do More Than They Say is written for Grade 2, typically ages 7-8. It is one of the sheets on RL.2.4, so it suits any pupil working at that standard — including older pupils revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does Words That Do More Than They Say come with an answer key?
Yes. All 2 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.
How many different versions of Words That Do More Than They Say can I print?
25 versions, of which 22 ask genuinely different questions — this skill does not have 25 distinct questions to give, so the rest reorder them and no two pupils still share a paper. Set 1 downloads all 25 as one PDF.
Is Words That Do More Than They Say free to print and photocopy?
Yes. Words That Do More Than They Say, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.
More practice for RL.2.4
Notice rhyme, repeated lines and beat, and say what they add.