Grades 3–5
Edit This Paragraph with CUPS
A beach-day paragraph with 12 mistakes to find with CUPS and proofreading marks, then copy correctly.
Writing worksheet · Paragraph writing and editing
Which Sentence Does Not Belong?
Four short paragraphs, each with one off-topic sentence to find and cross out.
- Grade level
- Grades 3–5
- Time
- About 20 minutes
- Answer key
- Yes, page 2 of the PDF
- Kids practice
- Paragraph structure, Topic and concluding sentences, Revising and editing, Proofreading
What kids do
“Every sentence in a paragraph should be about the topic. Cross out the sentence that does not belong.”
Printed on the sheet:
- Penguins are birds that cannot fly. They use their wings to swim fast. My cousin has a red bike. Many penguins live where it is very cold.
- Our class planted a garden. We dug holes for the seeds. Pizza is my favorite food. Soon, tiny green sprouts came up.
- The moon goes around Earth. It takes about a month to go all the way around.
- Basketball is a fun sport. At night, the moon reflects light from the sun.
- Recycling helps our planet. We can recycle paper, cans and bottles. My sister has long hair. Recycling means less trash in landfills.
- Pick one paragraph. Write a new sentence that does belong.
Teacher tip
Read each paragraph aloud and have kids stand up when they hear the sentence that does not fit.
How to use it
- Read the paragraph aloud together before kids mark anything.
- Model one fix on the document camera, thinking out loud.
- Read the directions aloud so the sheet is about writing, not decoding the directions.
Watch for
Kids who rewrite everything instead of fixing what is marked. Keep changes small and on purpose.
Talk about it
- What will you look for in your own writing now?
- What did you change when you reread your work?
Take it further
Have kids use the same steps on a paragraph from their own journal.
US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.
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Grades 3–5
Write a Concluding Sentence
Three paragraphs about octopuses, field day and puppies, each missing its concluding sentence.
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