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Expand, Combine and Reduce is a free printable Grade 5 English worksheet on reshaping sentences for meaning and interest, 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 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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All 25 sets ask different questions.

Expand, Combine and Reduce

L.5.3

NameDate

Circle the right answer.

1.Combine: "The fox was hungry. The fox looked for food." Which is best?
  • A.The hungry fox looked for food.
  • B.The fox looked. Hungry for food.
  • C.The fox was hungry and the fox looked and looked for food.
2.Reduce: "The reason why we were late was because the bus was late." Which is best?
  • A.The reason why we were late was the reason the bus was late.
  • B.We were late. Because the bus. It was late.
  • C.We were late because the bus was late.
3.Expand "The ship sailed." to tell when and where. Which is best?
  • A.At dawn, the ship sailed out of the bay.
  • B.The ship, a ship, sailed.
  • C.The ship sailed and sailed.
4.When is a short sentence the better choice?
  • A.Only at the start of a paragraph
  • B.Never
  • C.When you want the statement to land hard
5.Which sentence is wordy and needs reducing?
  • A.In my opinion, I think that the play was good.
  • B.The play was good.
  • C.I think the play was good.
6.Combine: "The bell hung in a barn. It was green with damp." Which is best?
  • A.The bell, green with damp, hung in a barn.
  • B.The bell hung in a barn and it was green with damp and it was there a long time.
  • C.Green with damp the bell hung in a barn.
7.Expand "The dog barked." to tell why. Which is best?
  • A.The dog, a dog, barked.
  • B.The dog barked and barked.
  • C.The dog barked because a stranger was at the gate.
8.Combine: "Maya won the race. She had trained for months." Which is best?
  • A.Maya won the race, she had trained for months.
  • B.Maya won the race because she had trained for months.
  • C.Maya had trained for months and won and the race.

LessonPrint · L.5.3 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Expand, Combine and Reduce

Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.The hungry fox looked for food.
  2. 2.We were late because the bus was late.
  3. 3.At dawn, the ship sailed out of the bay.
  4. 4.When you want the statement to land hard
  5. 5.In my opinion, I think that the play was good.
  6. 6.The bell, green with damp, hung in a barn.
  7. 7.The dog barked because a stranger was at the gate.
  8. 8.Maya won the race because she had trained for months.

Questions about Expand, Combine and Reduce

What does the Expand, Combine and Reduce worksheet cover?

It practices reshaping sentences for meaning and interest — 8 questions for Grade 5, all on Common Core L.5.3: Expand and combine sentences for meaning, and compare varieties of English. The instruction to students is “Circle the right answer”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.

Which Common Core standard does Expand, Combine and Reduce practice?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.3 — L.5.3, under Language for Grade 5. The published standard reads: “Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.” The worksheet assesses that standard rather than a paraphrase of it.

What age or grade is this worksheet for?

Expand, Combine and Reduce is written for Grade 5, typically ages 10-11. It is one of the sheets on L.5.3, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.

Does Expand, Combine and Reduce come with an answer key?

Yes. All 8 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 Expand, Combine and Reduce 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 Expand, Combine and Reduce free to print and photocopy?

Yes. Expand, Combine and Reduce, 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 L.5.3?

Yes — “Combining Sentences for Style” is a 40-minute Grade 5 plan for L.5.3, timed section by section, with the misconceptions to expect and an exit ticket. Expand, Combine and Reduce is the practice that follows it.

More practice for L.5.3

Expand and combine sentences for meaning, and compare varieties of English.

Teaching this next? Combining Sentences for Style is the 40-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.

All Grade 5 worksheets

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