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How Sentences Connect is a free printable Grade 3 English worksheet on sorting linked sentences by cause and effect, comparison or sequence, aligned to Common Core standard RI.3.8. It prints 3 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 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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All 25 sets ask different questions.

How Sentences Connect

RI.3.8

NameDate

Sort each one into the right box.

1.Sort each one: Cause and effect or Comparison or Sequence?

Sort: Raised letters were slow to read, so Braille wanted something better., Before the upper gate opens, the water must reach the level above., The salmon hatches, then swims to the sea, and later returns., The water comes down by gravity. That is why no pump is needed., A dash is three times as long as a dot., The smaller gear spins faster than the larger one.

Cause and effectComparisonSequence
2.Sort each one: Cause and effect or Comparison or Sequence?

Sort: Like the swallow, the salmon returns to where it was born., Because the sails are angled, the wind pushes them round., Because E is so common, it was given a single dot., After the yeast wakes up, it begins to feed on the sugars., First the boat enters the lock. Next the lower gate closes., A cheese aged for two years tastes nothing like one aged for two weeks.

Cause and effectComparisonSequence
3.Sort each one: Cause and effect or Comparison or Sequence?

Sort: The insects disappear in October, so the swallows leave., Q is rare and long, whereas E is common and short., A starter culture is added first. Then rennet is added., Braille was twelve when he saw the dots; three years later his code was finished., Swallows travel by day, but many other birds travel at night., The gluten traps the gas, and as a result the dough swells.

Cause and effectComparisonSequence

LessonPrint · RI.3.8 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — How Sentences Connect

Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. A dash is three times as long as a dot. — Comparison 2. Before the upper gate opens, the water must reach the level above. — Sequence 3. Raised letters were slow to read, so Braille wanted something better. — Cause and effect 4. The salmon hatches, then swims to the sea, and later returns. — Sequence 5. The smaller gear spins faster than the larger one. — Comparison 6. The water comes down by gravity. That is why no pump is needed. — Cause and effect
  2. 2.1. A cheese aged for two years tastes nothing like one aged for two weeks. — Comparison 2. After the yeast wakes up, it begins to feed on the sugars. — Sequence 3. Because E is so common, it was given a single dot. — Cause and effect 4. Because the sails are angled, the wind pushes them round. — Cause and effect 5. First the boat enters the lock. Next the lower gate closes. — Sequence 6. Like the swallow, the salmon returns to where it was born. — Comparison
  3. 3.1. A starter culture is added first. Then rennet is added. — Sequence 2. Braille was twelve when he saw the dots; three years later his code was finished. — Sequence 3. Q is rare and long, whereas E is common and short. — Comparison 4. Swallows travel by day, but many other birds travel at night. — Comparison 5. The gluten traps the gas, and as a result the dough swells. — Cause and effect 6. The insects disappear in October, so the swallows leave. — Cause and effect

Questions about How Sentences Connect

What does the How Sentences Connect worksheet cover?

It practices sorting linked sentences by cause and effect, comparison or sequence — 3 questions for Grade 3, all on Common Core RI.3.8: Name how one sentence or paragraph connects to the next. The instruction to students is “Sort each one into the right box”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.

Which Common Core standard does How Sentences Connect practice?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.8 — RI.3.8, under Reading: Informational Text for Grade 3. The published standard reads: “Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence).” The worksheet assesses that standard rather than a paraphrase of it.

What age or grade is this worksheet for?

How Sentences Connect is written for Grade 3, typically ages 8-9. It is one of the sheets on RI.3.8, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.

Does How Sentences Connect come with an answer key?

Yes. All 3 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.

How many different versions of How Sentences Connect can I print?

25 — one per student, and all 25 ask different questions. Set 1 downloads the whole class as a single PDF. Every version is fixed to its own address, so a sheet printed today holds the same problems when you reopen it next week.

Is How Sentences Connect free to print and photocopy?

Yes. How Sentences Connect, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.

Is there a lesson plan to teach RI.3.8?

Yes — “How Sentences and Paragraphs Connect” is a 40-minute Grade 3 plan for RI.3.8, timed section by section, with the misconceptions to expect and an exit ticket. How Sentences Connect is the practice that follows it.

More practice for RI.3.8

Name how one sentence or paragraph connects to the next.

Teaching this next? How Sentences and Paragraphs Connect is the 40-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.

All Grade 3 worksheets

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to RI.3.8 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.