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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 4 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: "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 mix the soil, which lets air and water reach plant roots.
  • C.Earthworms block air and water from reaching roots.
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 eat pollen so that plants cannot make seeds.
  • C.Bees carry pollen from flower to flower, which helps the plants make seeds.
3.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
4.Source: "The glacier has shrunk by half in the last hundred years." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
  • A.In a century, the glacier has lost about half its size.
  • B.The glacier has shrunk by half in the last hundred years.
  • C.The glacier has doubled in size in a century.
5.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.Most of the town's workers once had jobs at the mill.
  • C.At one time, the mill employed most people who worked in the town.
6.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.
7.Source: "Penguins cannot fly, but they are strong, fast swimmers." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
  • A.Penguins cannot fly, but they are strong, fast swimmers.
  • B.Although penguins are unable to fly, they swim powerfully and quickly.
  • C.Penguins fly well but cannot swim.
8.Source: "Children need more sleep than adults because their brains and bodies are still growing." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
  • A.Children need more sleep than adults because their brains and bodies are still growing.
  • B.Growing bodies and brains mean children need extra sleep compared with adults.
  • C.Adults need more sleep than children.

LessonPrint · W.5.8 · Set 4 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — In Your Own Words

Set 4. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.By churning the soil, earthworms help air and water get down to roots.
  2. 2.Moving pollen between flowers, bees help plants produce seeds.
  3. 3.The sentence is still the author's, so it is copying, not paraphrasing
  4. 4.In a century, the glacier has lost about half its size.
  5. 5.At one time, the mill employed most people who worked in the town.
  6. 6.Because camels sweat so little, they can survive days with no water.
  7. 7.Although penguins are unable to fly, they swim powerfully and quickly.
  8. 8.Growing bodies and brains mean children need extra sleep compared with adults.

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