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Expand, Combine and Reduce is a free printable Grade 5 English worksheet on reshaping sentences for meaning and interest, aligned to Common Core standard L.5.3. 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, Combine and Reduce

L.5.3

NameDate

Tick the right answer.

1.When is a short sentence the better choice?
  • A.Only at the start of a paragraph
  • B.Never
  • C.When you want the statement to land hard
2.Combine: "The bell hung in a barn. It was green with damp." Which is best?
  • A.The bell, green with damp, hung in a barn.
  • B.Green with damp the bell hung in a barn.
  • C.The bell hung in a barn and it was green with damp and it was there a long time.
3."He would rather not say." Why might a writer report this instead of quoting it?
  • A.To keep the focus on the refusal rather than the words
  • B.To save space
  • C.Because quotations are banned
4.How can you tell a text's structure quickly?
  • A.Read the last line
  • B.Count the paragraphs
  • C.Look at what each paragraph does, not what it is about
5.Can one text use more than one structure?
  • A.Only in fiction
  • B.Yes — a chronological text can contain a comparison
  • C.No, never
6.Which shows a difference between spoken and written English?
  • A.Speech can trail off; writing usually finishes the thought
  • B.Writing is always formal
  • C.Speech uses more commas
7.Which sentence is expanded most usefully?
  • A.The mill closed on Friday, and it was a Friday.
  • B.The mill, which had run since 1868, closed on Friday.
  • C.The mill, which was a mill, closed.
8.Why combine two short sentences into one?
  • A.To use fewer full stops
  • B.To make the writing longer
  • C.To show how the ideas relate rather than just listing them

LessonPrint · L.5.3 · Set 19 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Expand, Combine and Reduce

Set 19. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.When you want the statement to land hard
  2. 2.The bell, green with damp, hung in a barn.
  3. 3.To keep the focus on the refusal rather than the words
  4. 4.Look at what each paragraph does, not what it is about
  5. 5.Yes — a chronological text can contain a comparison
  6. 6.Speech can trail off; writing usually finishes the thought
  7. 7.The mill, which had run since 1868, closed on Friday.
  8. 8.To show how the ideas relate rather than just listing them

More practice for L.5.3

Expand and combine sentences for meaning, and compare varieties of English.

Teaching this next? Combining Sentences for Style is the 40-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.

All Grade 5 worksheets

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to L.5.3 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.