Vary sentences and keep the tone

Grade 6 Reading Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Cedar Finishes Second (school newspaper report)

   [1] The Cedar Middle School relay team finished second at the district meet on Saturday after a close race that was decided by less than half a second. [2] Four runners competed in the final. [3] Four runners wore the blue school uniforms. [4] Four runners passed the baton without a single drop. [5] The crowd went bananas when the last runner crossed the line. [6] Coach Dalton said the team had done better than anyone had expected. [7] Their time of 52.4 seconds was the fastest ever recorded by a Cedar team, and it broke a school record that had stood for eleven years. [8] The team will race again at the regional meet in two weeks, and the school invites families, teachers and classmates to come and cheer the runners on.

2. 1.

   Bo thinks [5] is too casual for the school newspaper. Which sentence keeps the facts and fits a news report?

   • The crowd cheered loudly when the last runner passed the winning team on the final turn.
   • The crowd cheered loudly when the last runner crossed the line.
   • The crowd totally lost it when the last runner crossed the line.
   • The assembled spectators expressed enthusiastic approval upon the final runner's crossing of the line.
3. 2.

   Kira wants to replace [2], [3] and [4], which have the same pattern. Which revision varies the sentences and keeps every fact?

   • Four runners competed in the final and passed the baton without a single drop.
   • Four runners competed in the final, but they wore the blue school uniforms and passed the baton without a single drop.
   • The relay team competed in the final. The runners wore the blue school uniforms. The runners passed the baton without a single drop.
   • Four runners competed in the final, wearing the blue school uniforms and passing the baton without a single drop.
4. 3.

   Milo wants [7] to put the broken record at the center. Which revision does that and keeps both facts?

   • The team broke a school record that had stood for eleven years, running 52.4 seconds, the fastest time ever recorded in the whole district.
   • Although a school record had stood for eleven years, the team ran 52.4 seconds, the fastest time ever recorded by a Cedar team.
   • The team broke a school record that had stood for eleven years, running 52.4 seconds, the fastest time ever recorded by a Cedar team.
   • The team broke a school record that had stood for eleven years, running the fastest time that a Cedar team had recorded.

5. A Book Swap for Our Library (email to the principal)

   [1] Dear Ms. Alvarez, the sixth-grade class would like to host a book swap in the library next month so that every student has a chance to find something new to read. [2] Students bring one book they have finished. [3] Students receive a ticket for each book. [4] Students use the tickets to choose a different book. [5] It would be super awesome if you said yes. [6] Last year, the fifth grade ran a similar swap, and nearly two hundred books changed hands. [7] The librarian, Mr. Bell, has agreed to help us sort the books by reading level, and several parents have offered to supervise the tables during lunch. [8] We would be grateful for a reply by Friday so that we have enough time to make posters and announce the date to every classroom.

6. 4.

   Esme thinks [5] is too casual for an email to the principal. Which sentence asks politely and adds no new request?

   • We would be very grateful if you would approve the swap.
   • We respectfully and humbly petition the administration to grant its most gracious approval.
   • We'd be so pumped if you gave us the thumbs up.
   • We would be very grateful if you would approve the swap and also give us money for prizes.
7. 5.

   Luz wants to replace [2], [3] and [4] with one smoother sentence. Which version keeps the steps in order and every fact?

   • Students bring one finished book and then choose a different book.
   • After students bring one finished book, they receive a ticket that they can use to choose a different book.
   • Each student brings one finished book. Each student receives a ticket. Each student uses the ticket to choose a different book.
   • Although students bring one finished book, they receive a ticket that they can use to choose a different book.
8. 6.

   Pia wants [7] to open with the help the class already has, to reassure the principal. Which revision does that and keeps both facts?

   • Although the librarian, Mr. Bell, has agreed to help sort the books by reading level, several parents have offered to supervise the tables during lunch.
   • Already, the librarian, Mr. Bell, has agreed to help sort the books by reading level, and several parents have offered to supervise the tables during lunch.
   • Already, the librarian, Mr. Bell, has agreed to help sort the books, and several parents have offered to help as well.
   • The librarian, Mr. Bell, has agreed to help us sort the books by reading level. Several parents have offered to supervise the tables during lunch.

9. What Our Class Learned at the Pond (class blog post for classmates)

   [1] Last Tuesday, our class took a bus to Miller Pond, a small wetland near the edge of town, to count the animals that live there. [2] We found six turtles. [3] We found two herons. [4] We found more frogs than we could count. [5] The aforementioned wildlife demonstrated considerable tolerance of our presence. [6] Ms. Ortiz showed us how to sit perfectly still so the animals would come closer, and she explained that quiet observers usually see much more wildlife than noisy ones. [7] Me and Esme was the first to spot a heron standing on one leg. [8] We wrote every sighting in a notebook, and next week we will turn our numbers into a graph that shows which animal we saw most often.

10. 7.

    Jun wants one sentence to replace [2], [3] and [4]. Which version varies the pattern and keeps every count?

    • We found six turtles and two herons.
    • We found six turtles and two herons, plus more frogs than we could count.
    • We found six turtles, but two herons, but more frogs than we could count.
    • We saw six turtles. We saw two herons. We saw more frogs than we could count.
11. 8.

    Tala wants standard English in [7]. Which sentence fixes both problems and keeps the meaning?

    • Me and Esme were the first to spot a heron standing on one leg.
    • Esme and I were the first to spot a heron standing on one leg.
    • Esme and I was the first to spot a heron standing on one leg.
    • Esme and I were the first to spot a heron.

12. A Thank-You to Our Guide (thank-you note to a museum guide)

    [1] Dear Mr. Lindqvist, thank you for guiding our class through the Harbor Museum on Thursday and for answering so many of our questions about the people who sailed along this coast many years ago. [2] You showed us a ship model. [3] You showed us an anchor from the 1800s. [4] You showed us a map drawn by a sailor. [5] Honestly, your tour was a total snooze at the start. [6] Then you let us hold a real rope knot and showed us how sailors tied it, and the room came alive as everyone tried to copy you. [7] Me and Noah has been tying knots at home ever since. [8] We hope you will lead our visit again next year, and we would like to bring our families to see the new exhibit about the lighthouse and the people who kept its lamp burning. [9] Your patience, your detailed stories and your willingness to answer difficult questions made our visit one of the most memorable field trips of the entire school year.

13. 9.

    Zee thinks [5] is too blunt for a thank-you note. Which sentence stays honest, polite and consistent with [6]?

    • At first, the tour moved slowly for some of us.
    • At first, the tour moved slowly because the guide spoke too softly.
    • The initial portion of the guided tour proved insufficiently stimulating.
    • The first part of the tour was kind of a bore, to be honest.
14. 10.

    Milo wants standard English in [7]. Which sentence fixes both problems and keeps the meaning?

    • Noah and me have been tying knots at home ever since.
    • Noah and I have been tying knots.
    • Noah and I has been tying knots at home ever since.
    • Noah and I have been tying knots at home ever since.