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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 9 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 shows a difference between spoken and written English?
  • A.Speech can trail off; writing usually finishes the thought
  • B.Speech uses more commas
  • C.Writing is always formal
2.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!
3.Which is a dialect difference rather than an error?
  • A.Spelling "their" as "there"
  • B.Forgetting the capital letter at the start of a sentence
  • C."I might could help" in some Southern US varieties
4.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.Because the poet does not know grammar
  • C.To give the speaker a real, local voice
5.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
6.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
7.What is a dialect?
  • A.A mistake in spelling
  • B.A kind of poem
  • C.A form of a language spoken in one place or by one group
8.In a story, a farmer says, "We're fixing to plant the corn." What does the way he speaks show?
  • A.A spelling mistake by the author
  • B.That the farmer is not telling the truth
  • C.How people talk in his part of the country

LessonPrint · L.5.3 · Set 9 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Varieties of English

Set 9. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Speech can trail off; writing usually finishes the thought
  2. 2.I would be grateful if you could reply soon.
  3. 3."I might could help" in some Southern US varieties
  4. 4.To give the speaker a real, local voice
  5. 5.The two characters speak in different registers
  6. 6.Standard English in a formal register
  7. 7.A form of a language spoken in one place or by one group
  8. 8.How people talk in his part of the country

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