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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 16 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.Which word names how formal or informal language is for a situation?
  • A.rhyme
  • B.register
  • C.dialect
2.When you write a school report, which variety of English should you use?
  • A.Text-message shorthand
  • B.The dialect you use with friends
  • C.Standard English in a formal register
3.Which shows a difference between spoken and written English?
  • A.Speech uses more commas
  • B.Speech can trail off; writing usually finishes the thought
  • C.Writing is always formal
4.Which sentence is in a formal register?
  • A.Write back soon, OK?
  • B.I would be grateful if you could reply soon.
  • C.Get back to me!
5.You are writing dialogue for a character from a particular place. What should guide you?
  • A.The shortest possible words
  • B.Formal written standard, always
  • C.How that person would really speak
6.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.The two characters speak in different registers
  • C.One of them has made a mistake
7.In a story, a farmer says, "We're fixing to plant the corn." What does the way he speaks show?
  • A.That the farmer is not telling the truth
  • B.A spelling mistake by the author
  • C.How people talk in his part of the country
8.Why might an author write a character's speech in dialect?
  • A.To make the story harder to read
  • B.Because dialect is the only correct way to write
  • C.To show where the character comes from and make them sound real

LessonPrint · L.5.3 · Set 16 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Varieties of English

Set 16. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.register
  2. 2.Standard English in a formal register
  3. 3.Speech can trail off; writing usually finishes the thought
  4. 4.I would be grateful if you could reply soon.
  5. 5.How that person would really speak
  6. 6.The two characters speak in different registers
  7. 7.How people talk in his part of the country
  8. 8.To show where the character comes from and make them sound real

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