Formal or friendly: matching the writing to the reader

Grade 8 Reading Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Books for the Graphic Novel Club (student draft: formal letter)

   [1] Dear Ms. Patel, I am writing on behalf of the Graphic Novel Club to request three new series for the school library. [2] Our club has twelve members, and we hang out in the library every Wednesday after school. [3] Several of our favorite series are missing from the shelves, and members must wait for weeks to borrow the few copies that remain.

   [4] Honestly, the waiting list is kind of crazy and a total bummer. [5] We have chosen three series that are suitable for readers of all ages and that match the interests of many students. [6] We would be grateful if you could consider our list at your next ordering meeting.

   [7] If it would be helpful, a club member can bring the list to your office on Monday morning. [8] We have also prepared a short description of each series and the reasons we chose it. [9] We believe these books would encourage more students to visit the library and to read for pleasure. [10] Thank you for your time and for supporting our reading community.

2. 1.

   Ari reads the letter to the librarian and looks for the one sentence that sounds too casual. Which sentence is it?

   • Sentence [6], asking Ms. Patel to consider the list
   • Sentence [4], about the waiting list being crazy and a bummer
   • Sentence [5], about the three series chosen for young and older readers
   • Sentence [3], saying some series are missing from the shelves
3. 2.

   Bo thinks “hang out in” in sentence [2] is too casual for a letter to a librarian. Which phrase should replace it?

   • meet in
   • congregate within
   • chill in
   • tidy
4. 3.

   Esme reads sentence [6] of the letter to the librarian. Which words describe its tone?

   • demanding and rude
   • bored and careless
   • silly and joking
   • polite and respectful

5. Our School Garden Water Test (student draft: science report)

   [1] The Science Club planted a vegetable garden behind the gym in April to learn how plants respond to different amounts of water. [2] We divided the garden into three beds and gave each bed a different amount of water each week. [3] Bed A received one liter per plant, bed B received two liters, and bed C received three liters. [4] Every Friday, we measured the height of each plant and recorded the results in a table.

   [5] After six weeks, the plants in bed B had grown the tallest, which was totally awesome. [6] The plants in bed C grew more slowly, and a bunch of leaves turned yellow. [7] Too much water can prevent roots from taking in air, so a plant may grow poorly.

   [8] Based on these results, we recommend giving each plant about two liters of water per week. [9] Next spring, we plan to repeat the test with a second type of plant to see whether the pattern holds. [10] We would like to thank Mr. Greene for lending us the tools we needed.

6. 4.

   Jun reads the garden report and looks for the one sentence that sounds too casual. Which sentence is it?

   • Sentence [5], about the totally awesome result in bed B
   • Sentence [9], about repeating the test next spring
   • Sentence [10], thanking Mr. Greene for the tools
   • Sentence [3], about how much water each bed received
7. 5.

   Kira thinks “a bunch of” in sentence [6] is too casual for a science report. Which phrase should replace it?

   • a whole lot of
   • several
   • an innumerable multitude of
   • very few
8. 6.

   Luz reads sentence [8] of the garden report. Which words describe its tone?

   • careful and objective
   • angry and bossy
   • tired and uninterested
   • joking and goofy

9. A Bike Lane for Oak Street (student draft: formal letter)

   [1] Dear Mayor Rivera, I am a student at Oak Street Middle School, and I am writing to ask for a protected bike lane on Oak Street. [2] Every morning, dozens of students ride their bikes to school along this busy road, and many more would ride if the road felt safer. [3] Cars often zoom past really close to the riders, and the narrow shoulder gives them almost no room.

   [4] Some riders have had close calls already, which is totally nuts. [5] A painted lane with a low barrier would give riders a safe place to travel. [6] Other towns that built similar lanes reported fewer close calls between cars and bikes, and some also saw more riders each month.

   [7] A safer road would encourage more students to ride, which would reduce traffic near the school. [8] We understand that the project would cost money, and our class would be glad to help with fundraising and with collecting signatures from neighbors. [9] I would welcome the chance to speak with you about this idea. [10] Thank you very much for your time and attention.

10. 7.

    Noah thinks “zoom past really close to” in sentence [3] is too casual for a letter to a mayor. Which phrase should replace it?

    • traverse in extreme proximity to
    • whip by super close to
    • pass very close to
    • stay far away from
11. 8.

    Pia reads sentence [9] of the letter to the mayor. Which words describe its tone?

    • playful and teasing
    • warm and respectful
    • pushy and impatient
    • tired and uninterested

12. A Class Trip to the Museum (student draft: formal letter)

    [1] Dear Director Alvarez, our seventh-grade class would like to visit the Maritime Museum next month as part of our unit on early trade routes. [2] Our teacher, Mr. Brooks, has reviewed the museum's website and believes that the exhibits on early ships match our lessons. [3] Thirty students will attend, along with four grown-ups to keep an eye on everyone. [4] We would like to arrive at ten o'clock and stay until two.

    [5] Can you hook us up with a guided tour and some free passes? [6] Our class is raising money to cover the cost of the bus, and we will gladly pay any admission fee. [7] Last year, the sixth-grade class visited the Science Center, and the guides there helped students understand the exhibits.

    [8] We believe a guided tour would help our students connect what they read in class to what they see. [9] Please let us know whether the museum can welcome our group on the date we have chosen. [10] We appreciate your time and look forward to your reply.

13. 9.

    Ren reads the letter to the museum director and looks for the one sentence that sounds too casual. Which sentence is it?

    • Sentence [4], giving the arrival and leaving times
    • Sentence [10], thanking the director and hoping for a reply
    • Sentence [5], asking the museum to hook us up with free passes
    • Sentence [2], about Mr. Brooks reviewing the museum's website
14. 10.

    Tala thinks “grown-ups to keep an eye on everyone” in sentence [3] is too casual for a letter to a museum director. Which phrase should replace it?

    • younger students
    • adult chaperones
    • grown-ups who watch the kids
    • supervisory personnel of mature years