Revise and edit a draft
Grade 7 Reading Worksheet - Building Confidence
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
A Book-Sharing Box for Maple Court (student draft: proposal letter)
[1] Dear Maple Court Association: I am writing to ask permission to build a small book-sharing box on the grassy strip beside our mailboxes. [2] Neighbors could borrow a book, leave a book, and skip the library card entirely. [3] The strip is wide enough that the box would not block the sidewalk or the mail carrier's route.
[4] The nearest public library is almost three miles from our street, and the only bus that stops near it runs twice a day. [5] Several families here do not own a car, and some older neighbors cannot walk that far. [6] A box at the corner would put books within a minute's walk of every house.
[7] Building it would cost the association nothing. [8] My uncle, a carpenter, has offered to donate the lumber, and a hardware store on Fifth Street has offered a roll of shingles so the books stay dry. [9] I would stock the box with fifty of my own books and straighten the shelves every Saturday.
[10] Some neighbors may worry that the box will look untidy or attract litter. [11] I think it will be fine, because people usually take care of things they share. [12] Thank you for reading my request, and I hope you will say yes.
Ari wants a sentence that connects paragraph 1 to paragraph 2 in the proposal. Which addition after [3] does that best?
- Add after [3]: “The box could be built from donated lumber, so it would not need any money from the association.”
- Cut [3], so paragraph 1 ends with the borrow-and-leave idea and paragraph 2 begins with the distance to the library.
- Add after [3]: “In other words, the strip is wide enough for a box to stand there without blocking the sidewalk.”
- Add after [3]: “I chose this spot because the neighbors who would use it most live farthest from any library.”
A Book-Sharing Box for Maple Court (student draft: proposal letter)
[1] Dear Maple Court Association: I am writing to ask permission to build a small book-sharing box on the grassy strip beside our mailboxes. [2] Neighbors could borrow a book, leave a book, and skip the library card entirely. [3] The strip is wide enough that the box would not block the sidewalk or the mail carrier's route.
[4] The nearest public library is almost three miles from our street, and the only bus that stops near it runs twice a day. [5] Several families here do not own a car, and some older neighbors cannot walk that far. [6] A box at the corner would put books within a minute's walk of every house.
[7] Building it would cost the association nothing. [8] My uncle, a carpenter, has offered to donate the lumber, and a hardware store on Fifth Street has offered a roll of shingles so the books stay dry. [9] I would stock the box with fifty of my own books and straighten the shelves every Saturday.
[10] Some neighbors may worry that the box will look untidy or attract litter. [11] I think it will be fine, because people usually take care of things they share. [12] Thank you for reading my request, and I hope you will say yes.
Revision of [5]: “Of the twelve houses on our street, four have no car, and two neighbors cannot walk more than a block.”
Bo revises [5] as shown below the draft. Which note describes what the revision does for the reader?
- It adds a second reason for the box: the high price of a bus ticket, which the first version did not mention.
- It shows that the whole street needs the box, since the counts cover the entire neighborhood.
- It replaces vague words with counts, so the reader can tell how many neighbors a box would help.
- It softens the claim about older neighbors so the letter sounds more polite.
A Book-Sharing Box for Maple Court (student draft: proposal letter)
[1] Dear Maple Court Association: I am writing to ask permission to build a small book-sharing box on the grassy strip beside our mailboxes. [2] Neighbors could borrow a book, leave a book, and skip the library card entirely. [3] The strip is wide enough that the box would not block the sidewalk or the mail carrier's route.
[4] The nearest public library is almost three miles from our street, and the only bus that stops near it runs twice a day. [5] Several families here do not own a car, and some older neighbors cannot walk that far. [6] A box at the corner would put books within a minute's walk of every house.
[7] Building it would cost the association nothing. [8] My uncle, a carpenter, has offered to donate the lumber, and a hardware store on Fifth Street has offered a roll of shingles so the books stay dry. [9] I would stock the box with fifty of my own books and straighten the shelves every Saturday.
[10] Some neighbors may worry that the box will look untidy or attract litter. [11] I think it will be fine, because people usually take care of things they share. [12] Thank you for reading my request, and I hope you will say yes.
Esme wants [11] to answer the worry in [10] in a way that suits a polite request to an association. Which sentence does that best?
- No worries, a box like this never gets messy, and if it does, somebody will just clean it up.
- To keep the box tidy, I will check it every Saturday, remove anything that does not belong, and post my phone number inside the door for complaints.
- Litter is already a bigger problem on our street than most neighbors admit, and the association should address it first.
- A box like this will never attract litter, because every neighbor on our street cares about keeping it clean.
Jun wants a sentence that connects paragraph 2 to paragraph 3. Which addition after [6] does that best?
- Add after [6]: “Meeting that need would be easy, because the materials and the help are already offered.”
- Add after [6]: “Some neighbors may worry that the box will look untidy, but I have a plan to prevent that.”
- Cut [6], so paragraph 2 ends with the families who cannot reach the library and paragraph 3 begins with the cost.
- Add after [6]: “Clearly, a box so close to each house would help neighbors reach books much more easily.”
A Book-Sharing Box for Maple Court (student draft: proposal letter)
[1] Dear Maple Court Association: I am writing to ask permission to build a small book-sharing box on the grassy strip beside our mailboxes. [2] Neighbors could borrow a book, leave a book, and skip the library card entirely. [3] The strip is wide enough that the box would not block the sidewalk or the mail carrier's route.
[4] The nearest public library is almost three miles from our street, and the only bus that stops near it runs twice a day. [5] Several families here do not own a car, and some older neighbors cannot walk that far. [6] A box at the corner would put books within a minute's walk of every house.
[7] Building it would cost the association nothing. [8] My uncle, a carpenter, has offered to donate the lumber, and a hardware store on Fifth Street has offered a roll of shingles so the books stay dry. [9] I would stock the box with fifty of my own books and straighten the shelves every Saturday.
[10] Some neighbors may worry that the box will look untidy or attract litter. [11] I think it will be fine, because people usually take care of things they share. [12] Thank you for reading my request, and I hope you will say yes.
Revision of [8]: “My uncle, a carpenter, has offered to donate the lumber, and a hardware store on Fifth Street has offered a roll of shingles. The shingles would keep the books dry.”
Kira revises [8] as shown below the draft. Which note describes what the revision does for the reader?
- It splits one long sentence in two and gives the reason for the shingles a sentence of its own.
- It adds a second donor, so the reader sees that more than one person is helping to pay for the box.
- It shows that the shingles and the lumber will cover the whole cost of the box.
- It cuts the hardware store's offer so the letter can focus on the uncle's help.
A Book-Sharing Box for Maple Court (student draft: proposal letter)
[1] Dear Maple Court Association: I am writing to ask permission to build a small book-sharing box on the grassy strip beside our mailboxes. [2] Neighbors could borrow a book, leave a book, and skip the library card entirely. [3] The strip is wide enough that the box would not block the sidewalk or the mail carrier's route.
[4] The nearest public library is almost three miles from our street, and the only bus that stops near it runs twice a day. [5] Several families here do not own a car, and some older neighbors cannot walk that far. [6] A box at the corner would put books within a minute's walk of every house.
[7] Building it would cost the association nothing. [8] My uncle, a carpenter, has offered to donate the lumber, and a hardware store on Fifth Street has offered a roll of shingles so the books stay dry. [9] I would stock the box with fifty of my own books and straighten the shelves every Saturday.
[10] Some neighbors may worry that the box will look untidy or attract litter. [11] I think it will be fine, because people usually take care of things they share. [12] Thank you for reading my request, and I hope you will say yes.
Luz wants a closing sentence for [12] that suits a formal request. Which sentence does that best?
- So please say yes, because honestly this is going to be super cool for everybody on the street.
- Thank you for your time; I would be glad to bring a drawing of the box to your next meeting and answer any questions.
- If the association says no, I will build the box on my family's lawn anyway and let the neighbors decide.
- Approving this box will make Maple Court the friendliest and most widely read street in the whole city, and other neighborhoods will soon follow its example.
How an Octopus Gets Its Meal (student draft: informative)
[1] An octopus has no bones and no shell, yet it is one of the most skillful predators in the sea. [2] Its soft body can squeeze through any opening larger than its beak, which is the only hard part it has. [3] A predator that can flatten itself into a crack can reach crabs hiding where other predators cannot follow.
[4] Scientists have also watched octopuses solve problems in laboratories. [5] In several experiments, octopuses learned to unscrew the lid of a jar to reach a crab inside. [6] Others have gotten through mazes after only a few tries, which is a lot like what a puppy can do.
[7] An octopus also protects itself by changing color. [8] Special cells in its skin, called chromatophores, expand or shrink to show different colors and patterns. [9] The animal can match the sand, the rocks, or the weeds around it in less than a second.
[10] Octopuses are shy, and most species spend their days hidden in dens. [11] They are not social animals, and most of them live alone. [12] Because they live alone, they never learn anything from one another, so each one has to invent every skill it has.
Milo wants a sentence that connects paragraph 2 to paragraph 3. Which addition after [6] does that best?
- Add after [6]: “Octopuses are shy and live alone, and most spend their days hidden in dens, away from other animals.”
- Add after [6]: “A clever mind is not the octopus's only advantage; it also has a way to avoid being caught.”
- Add after [6]: “These experiments show that octopuses can learn from experience, much as other clever animals do.”
- Cut [6], so paragraph 2 ends with the jar experiment and paragraph 3 begins with camouflage.
Ren wants a sentence that connects paragraph 1 to paragraph 2. Which addition after [3] does that best?
- Cut [3], so paragraph 1 ends with the beak and paragraph 2 begins with scientists watching octopuses in laboratories.
- Add after [3]: “A flexible body helps the octopus find food, but scientists have found its mind helps just as much.”
- Add after [3]: “In short, the octopus's soft body lets it get into places that other predators cannot reach.”
- Add after [3]: “Special skin cells also let the octopus change color to blend in with its surroundings.”
How an Octopus Gets Its Meal (student draft: informative)
[1] An octopus has no bones and no shell, yet it is one of the most skillful predators in the sea. [2] Its soft body can squeeze through any opening larger than its beak, which is the only hard part it has. [3] A predator that can flatten itself into a crack can reach crabs hiding where other predators cannot follow.
[4] Scientists have also watched octopuses solve problems in laboratories. [5] In several experiments, octopuses learned to unscrew the lid of a jar to reach a crab inside. [6] Others have gotten through mazes after only a few tries, which is a lot like what a puppy can do.
[7] An octopus also protects itself by changing color. [8] Special cells in its skin, called chromatophores, expand or shrink to show different colors and patterns. [9] The animal can match the sand, the rocks, or the weeds around it in less than a second.
[10] Octopuses are shy, and most species spend their days hidden in dens. [11] They are not social animals, and most of them live alone. [12] Because they live alone, they never learn anything from one another, so each one has to invent every skill it has.
Revision of [8]: “Special cells called chromatophores sit in its skin. When they expand or shrink, different colors and patterns appear.”
Tala revises [8] as shown below the draft. Which note describes what the revision does for the reader?
- It explains how the octopus decides which color to show.
- It splits one sentence into two and puts the cause, cells changing size, before the result, new colors.
- It adds a definition of chromatophores that the first version did not have, which makes it easier to follow.
- It removes the name chromatophores so the sentence is easier to read.
How an Octopus Gets Its Meal (student draft: informative)
[1] An octopus has no bones and no shell, yet it is one of the most skillful predators in the sea. [2] Its soft body can squeeze through any opening larger than its beak, which is the only hard part it has. [3] A predator that can flatten itself into a crack can reach crabs hiding where other predators cannot follow.
[4] Scientists have also watched octopuses solve problems in laboratories. [5] In several experiments, octopuses learned to unscrew the lid of a jar to reach a crab inside. [6] Others have gotten through mazes after only a few tries, which is a lot like what a puppy can do.
[7] An octopus also protects itself by changing color. [8] Special cells in its skin, called chromatophores, expand or shrink to show different colors and patterns. [9] The animal can match the sand, the rocks, or the weeds around it in less than a second.
[10] Octopuses are shy, and most species spend their days hidden in dens. [11] They are not social animals, and most of them live alone. [12] Because they live alone, they never learn anything from one another, so each one has to invent every skill it has.
Zee wants a closing sentence for [12] that fits an informative article. Which sentence does that best?
- Since they live alone, octopuses are basically on their own, and wow, they figure out a lot anyway.
- Anyone who keeps an octopus in an aquarium should give it puzzles to solve so that it stays healthy.
- Because they live alone, octopuses learn nothing from other animals, so each skill they have is invented fresh.
- Because they live alone, octopuses rarely learn from one another, so most of what each one knows it must work out for itself.