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Expand and Combine Sentences is a free printable Grade 5 English worksheet on building sentences that show how ideas relate, aligned to Common Core standard W.5.4. 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 19 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.

Expand and Combine Sentences

W.5.4

NameDate

Tick the right answer.

1.Which sentence uses its punctuation to create a pause for effect?
  • A.She said yes. Eventually.
  • B.She, said, yes.
  • C.She said yes eventually and that was that.
2."He would rather not say." Why might a writer report this instead of quoting it?
  • A.To save space
  • B.Because quotations are banned
  • C.To keep the focus on the refusal rather than the words
3.When is a short sentence the better choice?
  • A.When you want the statement to land hard
  • B.Only at the start of a paragraph
  • C.Never
4.Which sentence is expanded most usefully?
  • A.The mill, which had run since 1868, closed on Friday.
  • B.The mill, which was a mill, closed.
  • C.The mill closed on Friday, and it was a Friday.
5.Combine: "The bell hung in a barn. It was green with damp." Which is best?
  • A.The bell hung in a barn and it was green with damp and it was there a long time.
  • B.Green with damp the bell hung in a barn.
  • C.The bell, green with damp, hung in a barn.
6.Why combine two short sentences into one?
  • A.To use fewer full stops
  • B.To show how the ideas relate rather than just listing them
  • C.To make the writing longer
7.You are writing dialogue for a character from a particular place. What should guide you?
  • A.Formal written standard, always
  • B.The shortest possible words
  • C.How that person would really speak
8.Which shows a difference between spoken and written English?
  • A.Speech can trail off; writing usually finishes the thought
  • B.Speech uses more commas
  • C.Writing is always formal

LessonPrint · W.5.4 · Set 19 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Expand and Combine Sentences

Set 19. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.She said yes. Eventually.
  2. 2.To keep the focus on the refusal rather than the words
  3. 3.When you want the statement to land hard
  4. 4.The mill, which had run since 1868, closed on Friday.
  5. 5.The bell, green with damp, hung in a barn.
  6. 6.To show how the ideas relate rather than just listing them
  7. 7.How that person would really speak
  8. 8.Speech can trail off; writing usually finishes the thought

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to W.5.4 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.