In Your Own Words is a free printable Grade 5 English worksheet on choosing the note that paraphrases without copying or changing the meaning, aligned to Common Core standard W.5.8. 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.
1.Source: "Owls can turn their heads much further than people can." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
A.Owls cannot move their heads at all.
B.An owl can twist its head a lot further than a human.
C.Owls can turn their heads much further than people can.
2.Source: "Lightning is hotter than the surface of the sun." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
A.Lightning is much cooler than the sun's surface.
B.Lightning is hotter than the surface of the sun.
C.A bolt of lightning reaches a higher temperature than the sun's surface.
3.Source: "Earthworms mix the soil, which lets air and water reach plant roots." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
A.Earthworms block air and water from reaching roots.
B.Earthworms mix the soil, which lets air and water reach plant roots.
C.By churning the soil, earthworms help air and water get down to roots.
4.Source: "Children need more sleep than adults because their brains and bodies are still growing." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
A.Growing bodies and brains mean children need extra sleep compared with adults.
B.Children need more sleep than adults because their brains and bodies are still growing.
C.Adults need more sleep than children.
5.Source: "Bees carry pollen from flower to flower, which helps the plants make seeds." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
A.Bees carry pollen from flower to flower, which helps the plants make seeds.
B.Moving pollen between flowers, bees help plants produce seeds.
C.Bees eat pollen so that plants cannot make seeds.
6.Source: "Recycling one can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
A.Recycling cans uses up three hours of energy.
B.Recycling one can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours.
C.The energy saved by recycling a single can would power a television for three hours.
7.Source: "Penguins cannot fly, but they are strong, fast swimmers." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
A.Penguins cannot fly, but they are strong, fast swimmers.
B.Although penguins are unable to fly, they swim powerfully and quickly.
C.Penguins fly well but cannot swim.
8.Source: "The glacier has shrunk by half in the last hundred years." Which note is a fair paraphrase?
A.In a century, the glacier has lost about half its size.
B.The glacier has doubled in size in a century.
C.The glacier has shrunk by half in the last hundred years.
LessonPrint · W.5.8 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — In Your Own Words
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.An owl can twist its head a lot further than a human.
2.A bolt of lightning reaches a higher temperature than the sun's surface.
3.By churning the soil, earthworms help air and water get down to roots.
4.Growing bodies and brains mean children need extra sleep compared with adults.
5.Moving pollen between flowers, bees help plants produce seeds.
6.The energy saved by recycling a single can would power a television for three hours.
7.Although penguins are unable to fly, they swim powerfully and quickly.
8.In a century, the glacier has lost about half its size.
Questions about In Your Own Words
What does the In Your Own Words worksheet cover?
It practices choosing the note that paraphrases without copying or changing the meaning — 8 questions for Grade 5, all on Common Core W.5.8: Summarize and paraphrase from sources, and list them. The instruction to students is “Circle the right answer”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which Common Core standard does In Your Own Words practice?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.8 — W.5.8, under Writing for Grade 5. The published standard reads: “Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.” The worksheet assesses that standard rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
In Your Own Words is written for Grade 5, typically ages 10-11. It is one of the sheets on W.5.8, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does In Your Own Words 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 In Your Own Words 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 In Your Own Words free to print and photocopy?
Yes. In Your Own Words, 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.
More practice for W.5.8
Summarize and paraphrase from sources, and list them.