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Varieties of English is a free printable Grade 5 English worksheet on recognizing dialect and register differences, aligned to Common Core standard L.5.3. 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 11 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.

Varieties of English

L.5.3

NameDate

Circle the right answer.

1.In a story, a farmer says, "We're fixing to plant the corn." What does the way he speaks show?
  • A.How people talk in his part of the country
  • B.A spelling mistake by the author
  • C.That the farmer is not telling the truth
2.In a play, one character says "Good day to you, sir" and another says "Hiya!" What does the difference show?
  • A.They are speaking different languages
  • B.One of them has made a mistake
  • C.The two characters speak in different registers
3.Which word names how formal or informal language is for a situation?
  • A.dialect
  • B.rhyme
  • C.register
4.Which shows a difference between spoken and written English?
  • A.Writing is always formal
  • B.Speech can trail off; writing usually finishes the thought
  • C.Speech uses more commas
5.In a poem, the speaker says "I ain't got no fear of the dark." Why might the poet write it this way?
  • A.To show the poem is a list
  • B.To give the speaker a real, local voice
  • C.Because the poet does not know grammar
6.You are writing dialogue for a character from a particular place. What should guide you?
  • A.Formal written standard, always
  • B.How that person would really speak
  • C.The shortest possible words
7.Which is a dialect difference rather than an error?
  • A.Spelling "their" as "there"
  • B."I might could help" in some Southern US varieties
  • C.Forgetting the capital letter at the start of a sentence
8.When you write a school report, which variety of English should you use?
  • A.Standard English in a formal register
  • B.The dialect you use with friends
  • C.Text-message shorthand

LessonPrint · L.5.3 · Set 11 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Varieties of English

Set 11. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.How people talk in his part of the country
  2. 2.The two characters speak in different registers
  3. 3.register
  4. 4.Speech can trail off; writing usually finishes the thought
  5. 5.To give the speaker a real, local voice
  6. 6.How that person would really speak
  7. 7."I might could help" in some Southern US varieties
  8. 8.Standard English in a formal register

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to L.5.3 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.