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In Your Own Words is a free printable Grade 5 English worksheet on choosing the note that paraphrases without copying or changing the meaning, aligned to Common Core standard W.5.8. 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 students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 12 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.

In Your Own Words

W.5.8

NameDate

Circle the right answer.

1.Source: "The glacier has shrunk by half in the last hundred years." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
  • A.The glacier has shrunk by half in the last hundred years.
  • B.In a century, the glacier has lost about half its size.
  • C.The glacier has doubled in size in a century.
2.Source: "The bridge took eight years to build and opened in 1932." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
  • A.The bridge was built in eight days in 1932.
  • B.The bridge took eight years to build and opened in 1932.
  • C.After eight years of building, the bridge opened in 1932.
3.Source: "Owls can turn their heads much further than people can." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
  • A.Owls cannot move their heads at all.
  • B.An owl can twist its head a lot further than a human.
  • C.Owls can turn their heads much further than people can.
4.Source: "The first trains were slow, but they could carry far more than a horse and cart." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
  • A.The first trains were faster than anything but carried very little.
  • B.Early trains moved slowly yet carried much bigger loads than horse-drawn carts.
  • C.The first trains were slow, but they could carry far more than a horse and cart.
5.Source: "Camels can go for days without water because they lose very little through sweating." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
  • A.Camels can go for days without water because they lose very little through sweating.
  • B.Because camels sweat so little, they can survive days with no water.
  • C.Camels sweat a lot, so they need water every hour.
6.Source: "Earthworms mix the soil, which lets air and water reach plant roots." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
  • A.Earthworms mix the soil, which lets air and water reach plant roots.
  • B.By churning the soil, earthworms help air and water get down to roots.
  • C.Earthworms block air and water from reaching roots.
7.Why is it not enough to change one or two words of a source and call it your own?
  • A.The sentence is still the author's, so it is copying, not paraphrasing
  • B.Paraphrases must be longer than the source
  • C.Changing two words always makes a paraphrase
8.Source: "Bees carry pollen from flower to flower, which helps the plants make seeds." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
  • A.Bees eat pollen so that plants cannot make seeds.
  • B.Bees carry pollen from flower to flower, which helps the plants make seeds.
  • C.Moving pollen between flowers, bees help plants produce seeds.

LessonPrint · W.5.8 · Set 12 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — In Your Own Words

Set 12. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.In a century, the glacier has lost about half its size.
  2. 2.After eight years of building, the bridge opened in 1932.
  3. 3.An owl can twist its head a lot further than a human.
  4. 4.Early trains moved slowly yet carried much bigger loads than horse-drawn carts.
  5. 5.Because camels sweat so little, they can survive days with no water.
  6. 6.By churning the soil, earthworms help air and water get down to roots.
  7. 7.The sentence is still the author's, so it is copying, not paraphrasing
  8. 8.Moving pollen between flowers, bees help plants produce seeds.

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to W.5.8 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.