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Precise Words, Clear Sentences is a free printable Grade 4 English worksheet on choosing words and punctuation for effect, aligned to Common Core standard W.4.4. 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.

Set 23 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Precise Words, Clear Sentences

W.4.4

NameDate

Tick the right answer.

1.Why might a writer use a very short sentence after several long ones?
  • A.To make it land harder
  • B.Because they ran out of ideas
  • C.To save paper
2.Which belongs in dialogue between friends?
  • A.Your concern is disproportionate.
  • B.You are exhibiting excessive concern.
  • C.You're making a fuss.
3.What does a colon usually signal?
  • A.That an explanation or a list follows
  • B.The end of a paragraph
  • C.A change of speaker
4.Which sentence conveys most in fewest words?
  • A.He went down towards the sea below him.
  • B.The sky let go of him.
  • C.Then something bad happened to Icarus.
5.Which belongs in a formal report?
  • A.Eleven of fourteen households had prepared.
  • B.Loads of them had sorted it.
  • C.Most people, like, moved stuff.
6.When should you choose the shorter word?
  • A.Only in speech
  • B.Never
  • C.When it says the same thing as clearly
7.You are writing a diary entry. Which suits it?
  • A.Eleven households had prepared by midnight.
  • B.I was the one who said it was nothing.
  • C.The warning was issued at six.
8.Why does a report avoid "I"?
  • A.Because reports must be long
  • B.Because "I" is misspelled easily
  • C.Because it presents the events rather than one person's experience

LessonPrint · W.4.4 · Set 23 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Precise Words, Clear Sentences

Set 23. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.To make it land harder
  2. 2.You're making a fuss.
  3. 3.That an explanation or a list follows
  4. 4.The sky let go of him.
  5. 5.Eleven of fourteen households had prepared.
  6. 6.When it says the same thing as clearly
  7. 7.I was the one who said it was nothing.
  8. 8.Because it presents the events rather than one person's experience

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to W.4.4 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.