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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 17 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: "Sea otters wrap themselves in kelp so they do not drift away while they sleep." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
  • A.To keep from drifting while they sleep, sea otters wind kelp around their bodies.
  • B.Sea otters eat kelp before they swim away.
  • C.Sea otters wrap themselves in kelp so they do not drift away while they sleep.
2.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.The glacier has doubled in size in a century.
  • C.In a century, the glacier has lost about half its size.
3.Source: "Camels can go for days without water because they lose very little through sweating." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
  • A.Because camels sweat so little, they can survive days with no water.
  • B.Camels sweat a lot, so they need water every hour.
  • C.Camels can go for days without water because they lose very little through sweating.
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: "Earthworms mix the soil, which lets air and water reach plant roots." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
  • A.By churning the soil, earthworms help air and water get down to roots.
  • B.Earthworms block air and water from reaching roots.
  • C.Earthworms mix the soil, which lets air and water reach plant roots.
6.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.The sentence is still the author's, so it is copying, not paraphrasing
  • C.Paraphrases must be longer than the source
7.Source: "Lightning is hotter than the surface of the sun." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
  • A.Lightning is hotter than the surface of the sun.
  • B.A bolt of lightning reaches a higher temperature than the sun's surface.
  • C.Lightning is much cooler than the sun's surface.
8.Source: "Recycling one can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
  • A.The energy saved by recycling a single can would power a television for three hours.
  • B.Recycling cans uses up three hours of energy.
  • C.Recycling one can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours.

LessonPrint · W.5.8 · Set 17 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — In Your Own Words

Set 17. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.To keep from drifting while they sleep, sea otters wind kelp around their bodies.
  2. 2.In a century, the glacier has lost about half its size.
  3. 3.Because camels sweat so little, they can survive days with no water.
  4. 4.Early trains moved slowly yet carried much bigger loads than horse-drawn carts.
  5. 5.By churning the soil, earthworms help air and water get down to roots.
  6. 6.The sentence is still the author's, so it is copying, not paraphrasing
  7. 7.A bolt of lightning reaches a higher temperature than the sun's surface.
  8. 8.The energy saved by recycling a single can would power a television for three hours.

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