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]: “I chose this spot because the neighbors who would use it most live farthest from any library.”
- Add after [3]: “In other words, the strip is wide enough for a box to stand there without blocking the sidewalk.”
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?
- 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.
- No worries, a box like this never gets messy, and if it does, somebody will just clean it up.
Jun wants a sentence that connects paragraph 2 to paragraph 3. Which addition after [6] does that best?
- Add after [6]: “Some neighbors may worry that the box will look untidy, but I have a plan to prevent that.”
- Add after [6]: “Meeting that need would be easy, because the materials and the help are already offered.”
- Add after [6]: “Clearly, a box so close to each house would help neighbors reach books much more easily.”
- Cut [6], so paragraph 2 ends with the families who cannot reach the library and paragraph 3 begins with the cost.
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 adds a second donor, so the reader sees that more than one person is helping to pay for the box.
- It splits one long sentence in two and gives the reason for the shingles a sentence of its own.
- It cuts the hardware store's offer so the letter can focus on the uncle's help.
- It shows that the shingles and the lumber will cover the whole cost of the box.
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?
- 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.
- So please say yes, because honestly this is going to be super cool for everybody on the street.
- If the association says no, I will build the box on my family's lawn anyway and let the neighbors decide.
- Thank you for your time; I would be glad to bring a drawing of the box to your next meeting and answer any questions.
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]: “These experiments show that octopuses can learn from experience, much as other clever animals do.”
- Add after [6]: “A clever mind is not the octopus's only advantage; it also has a way to avoid being caught.”
- Cut [6], so paragraph 2 ends with the jar experiment and paragraph 3 begins with camouflage.
- Add after [6]: “Octopuses are shy and live alone, and most spend their days hidden in dens, away from other animals.”
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 [2]: “Its soft body can squeeze through any opening larger than its beak, the only hard part it has.”
Noah revises [2] as shown below the draft. Which note describes what the revision does for the reader?
- It drops the fact about the beak, so the reader no longer learns what limits how far the octopus can squeeze.
- It shows that the beak is harder than any other part of any sea animal.
- It says the same thing in fewer words, with the beak named in a short phrase instead of a clause.
- It changes the explanation of how the body fits through openings.
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.
Ren wants a sentence that connects paragraph 1 to paragraph 2. Which addition after [3] does that best?
- Add after [3]: “A flexible body helps the octopus find food, but scientists have found its mind helps just as much.”
- Cut [3], so paragraph 1 ends with the beak and paragraph 2 begins with scientists watching octopuses in laboratories.
- Add after [3]: “Special skin cells also let the octopus change color to blend in with its surroundings.”
- Add after [3]: “In short, the octopus's soft body lets it get into places that other predators cannot reach.”
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 splits one sentence into two and puts the cause, cells changing size, before the result, new colors.
- It explains how the octopus decides which color to show.
- 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?
- Because they live alone, octopuses rarely learn from one another, so most of what each one knows it must work out for itself.
- 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.