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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 13 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: "Most of the town's workers once had jobs at the mill." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
  • A.Nobody in the town ever worked at the mill.
  • B.At one time, the mill employed most people who worked in the town.
  • C.Most of the town's workers once had jobs at the mill.
2.Source: "Bees carry pollen from flower to flower, which helps the plants make seeds." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
  • A.Moving pollen between flowers, bees help plants produce seeds.
  • B.Bees carry pollen from flower to flower, which helps the plants make seeds.
  • C.Bees eat pollen so that plants cannot make seeds.
3.Source: "Earthworms mix the soil, which lets air and water reach plant roots." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
  • A.Earthworms block air and water from reaching roots.
  • B.Earthworms mix the soil, which lets air and water reach plant roots.
  • C.By churning the soil, earthworms help air and water get down to roots.
4.Why is it not enough to change one or two words of a source and call it your own?
  • A.Changing two words always makes a paraphrase
  • B.Paraphrases must be longer than the source
  • C.The sentence is still the author's, so it is copying, not paraphrasing
5.Source: "Sea otters wrap themselves in kelp so they do not drift away while they sleep." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
  • A.Sea otters wrap themselves in kelp so they do not drift away while they sleep.
  • B.Sea otters eat kelp before they swim away.
  • C.To keep from drifting while they sleep, sea otters wind kelp around their bodies.
6.Source: "The bridge took eight years to build and opened in 1932." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
  • A.The bridge took eight years to build and opened in 1932.
  • B.After eight years of building, the bridge opened in 1932.
  • C.The bridge was built in eight days in 1932.
7.Source: "Penguins cannot fly, but they are strong, fast swimmers." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
  • A.Although penguins are unable to fly, they swim powerfully and quickly.
  • B.Penguins fly well but cannot swim.
  • C.Penguins cannot fly, but they are strong, fast swimmers.
8.Source: "Owls can turn their heads much further than people can." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
  • A.An owl can twist its head a lot further than a human.
  • B.Owls cannot move their heads at all.
  • C.Owls can turn their heads much further than people can.

LessonPrint · W.5.8 · Set 13 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — In Your Own Words

Set 13. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.At one time, the mill employed most people who worked in the town.
  2. 2.Moving pollen between flowers, bees help plants produce seeds.
  3. 3.By churning the soil, earthworms help air and water get down to roots.
  4. 4.The sentence is still the author's, so it is copying, not paraphrasing
  5. 5.To keep from drifting while they sleep, sea otters wind kelp around their bodies.
  6. 6.After eight years of building, the bridge opened in 1932.
  7. 7.Although penguins are unable to fly, they swim powerfully and quickly.
  8. 8.An owl can twist its head a lot further than a human.

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