Common Core: 3rd Grade English Language Arts : Common Core: 3rd Grade English Language Arts
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Common Core: 3rd Grade English Language Arts
All Common Core: 3rd Grade English Language Arts Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #4 : Determine Main Idea
The Farm and the Magical Rain Storms
Since the time he was a little boy, Farmer Bo had always wanted to have a farm filled with lots of different kinds of animals. One day, as he was strolling down a country road, he saw a big sign in the middle of a field that reads “For Sale.” From what he could see, there wasn’t much to the land. Just a lot of open space and a small shack. The shack looked pretty old and beat-up from the outside. However, Farmer Bo never was the type to need nice things. He lived a simple life. He decided he would buy the land, live in the shack, and begin building a barn.
During the first night he spent in the shack, it began raining cats and dogs outside. Farmer Bo couldn’t sleep that night because he was worried that there might be too much flooding to start building his barn the next day. All night long he heard cracks of lighting and heavy drops of rain beating down on his tin roof. When morning came, he looked outside and couldn’t believe his eyes! There, in the middle of his field, was the start to his barn. It wasn’t completed yet, but there was a frame to the barn. Farmer Bo was baffled. He had no clue how this structure had just appeared. Instead of getting to work to complete his barn, he decided to see what would happen the next night.
That night no rain came. The ground was as dry as a bone when Farm Bo woke up from his slumber. To his disappointment, the barn still stood in the field just as it had the previous day- still not complete. Night after night he waited, but each day no more progress had been made when he woke up the next morning. After two weeks he decided he would get to work himself. He spent all day out in the hot sun working to build sides to his barn. When the sky got dark, and he was forced to quit working, he had half of the barn finished.
That night, the rain came again. To Farm Bo’s delight, the sides of the barn were all finished when he woke up the next morning. He decided not to sit back and keep waiting for the rain. His hard word had been rewarded the previous day, so he quickly got to work on the barn’s roof. He nailed hundreds of shingles in one single day, but again night came before the roof was complete. That night, he went to bed tired, sore, and hoping for rain.
What is the main idea of the second paragraph?
When Farmer Bo doesn’t work, the rain doesn’t help him build his barn.
Farm Bo buys a piece of land so he can have a farm.
Farmer Bo’s hard work is rewarded with a rainstorm, which helps build his barn.
The rainstorm helps to build Farm Bo’s barn.
The rainstorm helps to build Farm Bo’s barn.
The main idea of a text is an idea you learn from all the parts of the passage together, not just one part or paragraph. It is the key point that the author is trying to make overall. This question is asking for just the main idea of one specific paragraph. So you want to focus on the overall idea that you learn from just the one paragraph, nothing else covered in the passage. At the point of the second paragraph, Farm Bo has already bought the land to build his farm. He spends his first night in the shack during a rainstorm. When he woke up, the start of his barn had been built. The correct answer is “The rainstorm helps to build Farm Bo’s barn”.
Example Question #5 : Determine Main Idea
The Farm and the Magical Rain Storms
Since the time he was a little boy, Farmer Bo had always wanted to have a farm filled with lots of different kinds of animals. One day, as he was strolling down a country road, he saw a big sign in the middle of a field that reads “For Sale.” From what he could see, there wasn’t much to the land. Just a lot of open space and a small shack. The shack looked pretty old and beat-up from the outside. However, Farmer Bo never was the type to need nice things. He lived a simple life. He decided he would buy the land, live in the shack, and begin building a barn.
During the first night he spent in the shack, it began raining cats and dogs outside. Farmer Bo couldn’t sleep that night because he was worried that there might be too much flooding to start building his barn the next day. All night long he heard cracks of lighting and heavy drops of rain beating down on his tin roof. When morning came, he looked outside and couldn’t believe his eyes! There, in the middle of his field, was the start to his barn. It wasn’t completed yet, but there was a frame to the barn. Farmer Bo was baffled. He had no clue how this structure had just appeared. Instead of getting to work to complete his barn, he decided to see what would happen the next night.
That night no rain came. The ground was as dry as a bone when Farm Bo woke up from his slumber. To his disappointment, the barn still stood in the field just as it had the previous day- still not complete. Night after night he waited, but each day no more progress had been made when he woke up the next morning. After two weeks he decided he would get to work himself. He spent all day out in the hot sun working to build sides to his barn. When the sky got dark, and he was forced to quit working, he had half of the barn finished.
That night, the rain came again. To Farm Bo’s delight, the sides of the barn were all finished when he woke up the next morning. He decided not to sit back and keep waiting for the rain. His hard word had been rewarded the previous day, so he quickly got to work on the barn’s roof. He nailed hundreds of shingles in one single day, but again night came before the roof was complete. That night, he went to bed tired, sore, and hoping for rain.
What is the main idea of the third paragraph?
Farmer Bo’s hard work is rewarded with a rainstorm, which helps build his barn.
The rainstorm helps to build Farm Bo’s barn.
When Farmer Bo doesn’t work, the rain doesn’t help him build his barn.
Farm Bo buys a piece of land so he can have a farm.
When Farmer Bo doesn’t work, the rain doesn’t help him build his barn.
The main idea of a text is an idea you learn from all the parts of the passage together, not just one part or paragraph. It is the key point that the author is trying to make overall. This question is asking for just the main idea of one specific paragraph. So you want to focus on the overall idea that you learn from just the one paragraph, nothing else covered in the passage. During the third paragraph, Farm Bo doesn’t do any more on his barn because the rainstorm had helped him build the barn during his first night on the farm. However, during the third paragraph, no rainstorm comes and no progress is made to complete the Barn because Farm Bo doesn’t work. The correct answer is, “When Farmer Bo doesn’t work, the rain doesn’t help him build his barn.”
Example Question #2 : Determine Main Idea
The Farm and the Magical Rain Storms
Since the time he was a little boy, Farmer Bo had always wanted to have a farm filled with lots of different kinds of animals. One day, as he was strolling down a country road, he saw a big sign in the middle of a field that reads “For Sale.” From what he could see, there wasn’t much to the land. Just a lot of open space and a small shack. The shack looked pretty old and beat-up from the outside. However, Farmer Bo never was the type to need nice things. He lived a simple life. He decided he would buy the land, live in the shack, and begin building a barn.
During the first night he spent in the shack, it began raining cats and dogs outside. Farmer Bo couldn’t sleep that night because he was worried that there might be too much flooding to start building his barn the next day. All night long he heard cracks of lighting and heavy drops of rain beating down on his tin roof. When morning came, he looked outside and couldn’t believe his eyes! There, in the middle of his field, was the start to his barn. It wasn’t completed yet, but there was a frame to the barn. Farmer Bo was baffled. He had no clue how this structure had just appeared. Instead of getting to work to complete his barn, he decided to see what would happen the next night.
That night no rain came. The ground was as dry as a bone when Farm Bo woke up from his slumber. To his disappointment, the barn still stood in the field just as it had the previous day- still not complete. Night after night he waited, but each day no more progress had been made when he woke up the next morning. After two weeks he decided he would get to work himself. He spent all day out in the hot sun working to build sides to his barn. When the sky got dark, and he was forced to quit working, he had half of the barn finished.
That night, the rain came again. To Farm Bo’s delight, the sides of the barn were all finished when he woke up the next morning. He decided not to sit back and keep waiting for the rain. His hard word had been rewarded the previous day, so he quickly got to work on the barn’s roof. He nailed hundreds of shingles in one single day, but again night came before the roof was complete. That night, he went to bed tired, sore, and hoping for rain.
What is the main idea of the fourth paragraph?
Farmer Bo’s hard work is rewarded with a rainstorm, which helps build his barn.
Farm Bo buys a piece of land so he can have a farm.
When Farmer Bo doesn’t work, the rain doesn’t help him build his barn.
The rainstorm helps to build Farm Bo’s barn.
Farmer Bo’s hard work is rewarded with a rainstorm, which helps build his barn.
The main idea of a text is an idea you learn from all the parts of the passage together, not just one part or paragraph. It is the key point that the author is trying to make overall. This question is asking for just the main idea of one specific paragraph. So you want to focus on the overall idea that you learn from just the one paragraph, nothing else covered in the passage. In the final paragraph of the story, Farmer Bo gets back to work building his barn and another rainstorm comes to help him along after a day of hard work by Farmer Bo. The correct answer is, “Farmer Bo’s hard work is rewarded with a rainstorm, which helps build his barn.”
Example Question #1 : Determine Main Idea
Adley Joins the Soccer Team
The day started off like any other day. Adley woke up, got dressed, ate breakfast, and began running to school. Her mother joked that it was like “pulling teeth” to get Adley out of bed in the morning, but today was different. Her dad had pulled strings to get her on the soccer team- a year earlier than most girls were allowed to start playing at her school. Today was the first day of practice, and she couldn’t wait! Today was not going to be like any other day.
All-day she was distracted. She couldn’t focus on what the teachers were teaching in class. She just kept thinking about soccer practice after school, and her nerves were growing bigger and bigger. By the time practice was about to start, Adley was so nervous she kept dropping her cleats. She began to wonder if she really should join the team.
Suddenly, Adley heard a whisper, “Put the cleats on, that’s all you need to do”. She looked around but saw no one close to her that could have spoken to her. All of the other girls were already on the soccer field stretching before practice began. She did as she heard, and put the cleats on. Before she ran onto the field to join the other girls, she noticed a golden glow around her soccer cleats. She thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, but she was too embarrassed to ask anyone else if they saw the glow too.
During practice, Adley ran faster than she’s ever run before, and she scored 4 goals during the 1-hour practice. Her teammates huddled around her after each goal and praised her talents. After each goal that she scored, she looked down and saw the golden glow around her cleats- she figured they must be magic! As long as Adley was wearing her cleats, her confidence grew and her nerves disappeared.
What is the main idea of this passage?
Adley is too nervous to participate in soccer practice.
Adley’s dad gets Adley on the soccer team.
Adley doesn’t do well in school because she isn’t a good student.
Magical cleats help Adley perform her best during soccer practice.
Magical cleats help Adley perform her best during soccer practice.
The main idea of a text is an idea you learn from all the parts of the passage together, not just one part or paragraph. It is the key point that the author is trying to make overall. During the passage, we learn that Adley joins the soccer team, but is nervous about her first practice. However, when she puts on her cleats she sees a glow. The cleats help her run faster than normal and score a lot of goals. The correct answer is, “Magical cleats help Adley perform her best during soccer practice.”
Example Question #1 : Determine Main Idea
Adley Joins the Soccer Team
The day started off like any other day. Adley woke up, got dressed, ate breakfast, and began running to school. Her mother joked that it was like “pulling teeth” to get Adley out of bed in the morning, but today was different. Her dad had pulled strings to get her on the soccer team- a year earlier than most girls were allowed to start playing at her school. Today was the first day of practice, and she couldn’t wait! Today was not going to be like any other day.
All-day she was distracted. She couldn’t focus on what the teachers were teaching in class. She just kept thinking about soccer practice after school, and her nerves were growing bigger and bigger. By the time practice was about to start, Adley was so nervous she kept dropping her cleats. She began to wonder if she really should join the team.
Suddenly, Adley heard a whisper, “Put the cleats on, that’s all you need to do”. She looked around but saw no one close to her that could have spoken to her. All of the other girls were already on the soccer field stretching before practice began. She did as she heard, and put the cleats on. Before she ran onto the field to join the other girls, she noticed a golden glow around her soccer cleats. She thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, but she was too embarrassed to ask anyone else if they saw the glow too.
During practice, Adley ran faster than she’s ever run before, and she scored 4 goals during the 1-hour practice. Her teammates huddled around her after each goal and praised her talents. After each goal that she scored, she looked down and saw the golden glow around her cleats- she figured they must be magic! As long as Adley was wearing her cleats, her confidence grew and her nerves disappeared.
What is the main idea of the first paragraph?
Adley had a great practice.
Adley was distracted during school because she was nervous about her first soccer practice.
The day was a special day because it was Adley’s first day of soccer practice.
Adley saw a glow from her soccer cleats when she put them on before practice.
The day was a special day because it was Adley’s first day of soccer practice.
The main idea of a text is an idea you learn from all the parts of the passage together, not just one part or paragraph. It is the key point that the author is trying to make overall. This question is asking for just the main idea of one specific paragraph. So you want to focus on the overall idea that you learn from just the one paragraph, nothing else covered in the passage. During the first paragraph, we learn that Adley has her first soccer practice that day and she is very excited. Though the day started off like all other days, it was special because she was starting soccer. The correct answer is, “The day was a special day because it was Adley’s first day of soccer practice.”
Example Question #7 : Determine Main Idea
Adley Joins the Soccer Team
The day started off like any other day. Adley woke up, got dressed, ate breakfast, and began running to school. Her mother joked that it was like “pulling teeth” to get Adley out of bed in the morning, but today was different. Her dad had pulled strings to get her on the soccer team- a year earlier than most girls were allowed to start playing at her school. Today was the first day of practice, and she couldn’t wait! Today was not going to be like any other day.
All-day she was distracted. She couldn’t focus on what the teachers were teaching in class. She just kept thinking about soccer practice after school, and her nerves were growing bigger and bigger. By the time practice was about to start, Adley was so nervous she kept dropping her cleats. She began to wonder if she really should join the team.
Suddenly, Adley heard a whisper, “Put the cleats on, that’s all you need to do”. She looked around but saw no one close to her that could have spoken to her. All of the other girls were already on the soccer field stretching before practice began. She did as she heard, and put the cleats on. Before she ran onto the field to join the other girls, she noticed a golden glow around her soccer cleats. She thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, but she was too embarrassed to ask anyone else if they saw the glow too.
During practice, Adley ran faster than she’s ever run before, and she scored 4 goals during the 1-hour practice. Her teammates huddled around her after each goal and praised her talents. After each goal that she scored, she looked down and saw the golden glow around her cleats- she figured they must be magic! As long as Adley was wearing her cleats, her confidence grew and her nerves disappeared.
What is the main idea of the second paragraph?
Adley was distracted during school because she was nervous about her first soccer practice.
Adley saw a glow from her soccer cleats when she put them on before practice.
The day was a special day because it was Adley’s first day of soccer practice.
Adley had a great practice.
Adley was distracted during school because she was nervous about her first soccer practice.
The main idea of a text is an idea you learn from all the parts of the passage together, not just one part or paragraph. It is the key point that the author is trying to make overall. This question is asking for just the main idea of one specific paragraph. So you want to focus on the overall idea that you learn from just the one paragraph, nothing else covered in the passage. The second paragraph talks about how nervous Adley is about her first soccer practice. Because she is so nervous, she can’t concentrate during school. She begins to doubt whether she should be on the team or not. The correct answer is, “Adley was distracted during school because she was nervous about her first soccer practice."
Example Question #31 : Reading
Adley Joins the Soccer Team
The day started off like any other day. Adley woke up, got dressed, ate breakfast, and began running to school. Her mother joked that it was like “pulling teeth” to get Adley out of bed in the morning, but today was different. Her dad had pulled strings to get her on the soccer team- a year earlier than most girls were allowed to start playing at her school. Today was the first day of practice, and she couldn’t wait! Today was not going to be like any other day.
All-day she was distracted. She couldn’t focus on what the teachers were teaching in class. She just kept thinking about soccer practice after school, and her nerves were growing bigger and bigger. By the time practice was about to start, Adley was so nervous she kept dropping her cleats. She began to wonder if she really should join the team.
Suddenly, Adley heard a whisper, “Put the cleats on, that’s all you need to do”. She looked around but saw no one close to her that could have spoken to her. All of the other girls were already on the soccer field stretching before practice began. She did as she heard, and put the cleats on. Before she ran onto the field to join the other girls, she noticed a golden glow around her soccer cleats. She thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, but she was too embarrassed to ask anyone else if they saw the glow too.
During practice, Adley ran faster than she’s ever run before, and she scored 4 goals during the 1-hour practice. Her teammates huddled around her after each goal and praised her talents. After each goal that she scored, she looked down and saw the golden glow around her cleats- she figured they must be magic! As long as Adley was wearing her cleats, her confidence grew and her nerves disappeared.
What is the main idea of the third paragraph?
Adley was distracted during school because she was nervous about her first soccer practice.
Adley saw a glow from her soccer cleats when she put them on before practice.
The day was a special day because it was Adley’s first day of soccer practice.
Adley had a great practice.
Adley saw a glow from her soccer cleats when she put them on before practice.
The main idea of a text is an idea you learn from all the parts of the passage together, not just one part or paragraph. It is the key point that the author is trying to make overall. This question is asking for just the main idea of one specific paragraph. So you want to focus on the overall idea that you learn from just the one paragraph, nothing else covered in the passage. The third paragraph introduces the idea of magical cleats. Adley hears a voice from nowhere to put them on. When she does, she sees a glow coming from them. The correct answer is, “Adley saw a glow from her soccer cleats when she put them on before practice.”
Example Question #32 : Reading
The Dog and the Princess
Once upon a time Princess Ali and her mother, The Queen, ruled all of the lands. Princess Ali’s father had died when Ali was very young, so she had no memory of him and she always felt like something was missing from her life. But, many people told her tales of the great King Archie. Every story that she heard made her father sound like a jovial and fun king. Everyone always laughed when they spoke of King Archie. She thought about him often and wondered how different her life may have been if she had grown up with both a mother and a father.
On a beautiful spring day, Princess Ali was walking in the grand gardens when she spotted a goofy-looking dog. His legs were way too long for his body, one ear stood straight up, while the other folded down, and his big tongue hung out of the left side of his mouth. He had a great big grin on his face as he ran towards Princess Ali. The dog was running too quickly and wasn’t able to stop his long legs from crashing into Princess Ali, so they both tumbled to the ground.
Princess Ali giggled as the dog covered her in kisses. When she was able to break free, she stood up and the dog began to dance in circles around her, barking happily. She saw that he wore a red collar with the name “Archie” stitched in white writing. She decided this dog must belong to someone so she spent all day walking the dog around the kingdom trying to find his rightful owners.
Throughout the day Princess Ali laughed more than she ever had. The dog spent the whole day trying to please her and make her laugh. He chased butterflies, played in puddles, licked her hand, snuggled his head into her belly, and pulled flowers out of the ground for her. Her life felt more complete for the first time. As the day drew to a close, they hadn’t come across anyone that claimed to be his owner.
Princess Ali decided to keep the dog Archie, and they all lived happily ever after.
What is the main idea of the passage?
Princess Ali is a sad princess.
A fun-loving dog rules over a kingdom.
How to best care for a missing dog.
Princess Ali finds a dog with similar traits to her father, and the dog helps her life feel more complete.
Princess Ali finds a dog with similar traits to her father, and the dog helps her life feel more complete.
The main idea of a text is an idea you learn from all the parts of the passage together, not just one part or paragraph. It is the key point that the author is trying to make overall. At the beginning of the passage, we learn that Princess Ali’s life doesn’t feel complete because her father died when she was very young. During the passage, Adley comes across a dog that is happy, fun and brings her great joy. The dog made her life feel complete after spending just one day with him. The correct answer is, “Princess Ali finds a dog with similar traits to her father, and the dog helps her life feel more complete.”
Example Question #281 : Common Core: 3rd Grade English Language Arts
"Honest Abe”
Abraham Lincoln is not just the face on the penny. Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States and he was known as “Honest Abe." This nickname started when he was a young boy working in a store. If he gave someone the wrong change back, then he would follow them home and give them their left over money. “Honest Abe” is remembered as an honest boy and a great president.
Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809 in a one-room home in Kentucky, and then later moved to Indiana and later Illinois. He grew up very poor and after his mother passed away, his older sister took care of him. Abraham Lincoln did not have an easy time growing up, but he was very smart. Most of what he knew he learned on his own by reading books, he was self-taught.
Lincoln became president in 1861. Lincoln wanted to end the use of slavery in the United States, which upset many people. Because of this, some states did not want to be apart of the United States and tried to have their own laws and rules. A war started and lasted for 4 years. This became known as the Civil War. After it ended, all of the states of the United States stayed together, and President Lincoln said that all slaves needed to be set free.
Abraham Lincoln’s life was too short. He died at age 56, but he will always be remembered.
What does "self-taught" mean?
Learning on your own
Going to school
Learning at school
Not learning
Learning on your own
We can use context clues to help us answer this question. Let's look at where "self-taught" is found in the passage.
"Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809 in a one-room home in Kentucky, and then later moved to Indiana and later Illinois. He grew up very poor and after his mother passed away, his older sister took care of him. Abraham Lincoln did not have an easy time growing up, but he was very smart. Most of what he knew he learned on his own by reading books, he was self-taught."
The last sentence of this paragraph gives us a clue of what "self-taught" means. We are told that Lincoln learned on his own, which is what "self-taught" means. "Learning on your own" is the correct answer.
Example Question #2 : Literal And Nonliteral Vocabulary
Text 1: Where to see African Animals
Animals that are from Africa are some of the most fascinating animals to see. If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing the animals that live in Africa, there are two ways to make this happen. The first is to visit a local zoo. Most zoos have an African section, which have many of the animals that you would find in Africa. The other, and probably the more exciting option, would be to take a trip to Africa and go on an African safari!
Visiting a Zoo
If you go to a zoo to see African animals, you can usually follow signs straight to the African section. There you will see an area that is modeled off of what an African habitat, or area where animals live, would look like. There will be tall trees for the giraffes and lots of grass and small plants for the elephants. The neat thing about seeing animals in a zoo is that you can see tons of different animals from all over the world.You can see Polar Bears found in Alaska or Kangaroos found in Australia, just to name a few!
African Safari
An African safari is a trip that is very popular in Africa. People sign up for tours and ride around Africa to see many African animals in their homes in the wild. During an African safari, the driver is also the tour guide. He, or she, will know many facts and details about the area and the animals. During the safari, you might go by giraffes eating from tall trees, elephants spraying water from their noses, and lions laying in the sun.
Text 2: African Animals
Africa is home to many amazing and different animals! The weather in Africa is generally very warm, but depending on where in Africa you are, you will see different habits and animals. The top half of Africa, or the northern part, is mainly made up of deserts. The bottom half of Africa, or the southern part, is made up of plains and jungles.
Desert
African deserts are home to animals that can live in very hot temperatures, with very little water. If you were to visit an African desert you might see animals such as camels, foxes, or sheep. Reptiles also live in African deserts. Reptiles that you might see include snakes or lizards.
Plains
African plains are flat areas with a lot of grass. You might see some tall trees spread out, but the majority of this area is covered in grass. If you visit this area of Africa, you might run into some dangerous animals. The plains are where lions and chetahs call home. However, many other animal call the plaines their home. If you want to see elephants, giraffes, or zebras, the plains are where you will find them.
Jungles
The jungles in Africa are rainforest. They are filled with tall trees, plants, and many animals. If you were in an African rainforest, you might see monkeys hanging from branches, or big snakes wrapped around trees. Also, bright colored parrots can be seeing flying from tree to tree. Much bigger animals, such as gorillas and jaguars also live within all of the trees of the rainforest.
What does the word "habitat" mean?
An African animal
An animal at the zoo
A tour guide
An area where animals live
An area where animals live
We can use text clues to help us answer this question.
"If you go to a zoo to see African animals, you can usually follow signs straight to the African section. There you will see an area that is modeled off of what an African habitat, or area where animals live, would look like. There will be tall trees for the giraffes and lots of grass and small plants for the elephants. The neat thing about seeing animals in a zoo is that you can see tons of different animals from all over the world.You can see Polar Bears found in Alaska or Kangaroos found in Australia, just to name a few!"
A habitat is an area where animals live.
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