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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 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.

In Your Own Words

W.5.8

NameDate

Circle the right answer.

1.Source: "Children need more sleep than adults because their brains and bodies are still growing." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
  • A.Growing bodies and brains mean children need extra sleep compared with adults.
  • B.Children need more sleep than adults because their brains and bodies are still growing.
  • C.Adults need more sleep than children.
2.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.Owls can turn their heads much further than people can.
  • C.An owl can twist its head a lot further than a human.
3.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.
4.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.
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: "Penguins cannot fly, but they are strong, fast swimmers." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
  • A.Penguins fly well but cannot swim.
  • B.Penguins cannot fly, but they are strong, fast swimmers.
  • C.Although penguins are unable to fly, they swim powerfully and quickly.
7.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 slow, but they could carry far more than a horse and cart.
  • B.The first trains were faster than anything but carried very little.
  • C.Early trains moved slowly yet carried much bigger loads than horse-drawn carts.
8.Why is it not enough to change one or two words of a source and call it your own?
  • A.Paraphrases must be longer than the source
  • B.Changing two words always makes a paraphrase
  • C.The sentence is still the author's, so it is copying, not paraphrasing

LessonPrint · W.5.8 · Set 19 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — In Your Own Words

Set 19. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Growing bodies and brains mean children need extra sleep compared with adults.
  2. 2.An owl can twist its head a lot further than a human.
  3. 3.After eight years of building, the bridge opened in 1932.
  4. 4.In a century, the glacier has lost about half its size.
  5. 5.To keep from drifting while they sleep, sea otters wind kelp around their bodies.
  6. 6.Although penguins are unable to fly, they swim powerfully and quickly.
  7. 7.Early trains moved slowly yet carried much bigger loads than horse-drawn carts.
  8. 8.The sentence is still the author's, so it is copying, not paraphrasing

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