Common Core: 3rd Grade English Language Arts : Craft and Structure

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Common Core: 3rd Grade English Language Arts

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All Common Core: 3rd Grade English Language Arts Resources

1 Diagnostic Test 77 Practice Tests Question of the Day Flashcards Learn by Concept

Example Questions

Example Question #44 : 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 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. 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.

Based on the passage, what does the word “jovial” mean?

Possible Answers:

Scared

Happy

Angry

Emotional

Correct answer:

Happy

Explanation:

We can use context clues from the story to help us answer this question. “Every story that she heard made her father sound like a jovial and fun king. Everyone always laughed when they spoke of King Archie.” If people were laughing when they spoke about the king, they were most likely recalling a happy memory, as happy people laugh. Therefore, the correct answer is “Happy”.

Example Question #45 : Reading

Prince Meanerman

Once upon a time, a mean prince ruled over a farming town called Summersville. The prince was named Prince Sweeterman, but he was known throughout Summersville as Prince Meanerman. The people of Summersville were very poor farmers, as the prince kept most of the wealth and food for himself. The farmers worked day and night trying to grow enough food for themselves, but still, the Prince took more and more. The sight of the hard-working farmers cracked Prince Sweeterman up as he watched from his castle in joy as the farmers struggled day after day. The Prince was warned that he should not treat his people this way, but the warning went in one ear and out the other. He never changed his ways.

One, by one the farmers began to look for other kingdoms to take them in. Eventually, Prince Sweeterman was left with no workers and no kingdom to rule over. With no food to eat for himself, he grew very hungry and meaner and meaner each day. Prince Meanerman never did learn his lesson.

As used in the first paragraph, what does “in one ear and out the other” mean?

Possible Answers:

To flow through the ear

To listen closely

To be hard of hearing

To ignore

Correct answer:

To ignore

Explanation:

“In one ear and out the other” is an example of a nonliteral phrase. A nonliteral phrase uses language that goes beyond the dictionary meaning of words – Non-literal language does not use words in their usual or most basic sense. Looking at the contexts of the phrase, “The Prince was warned that he should not treat his people this way, but the warning went in one ear and out the other. He never changed his ways.” He was given a warning, but he didn’t change. Therefore, “in one ear and out the other” most likely means “to ignore”.

Example Question #41 : Reading

The Kingdom of Cherry Blossoms

Once upon a time, Prince David and Princess Caroline were fortunate enough to rule over a beautiful kingdom. All over the kingdom, great big cherry blossom trees bloomed year-around, which is how the kingdom received its name. The Prince and Princess were not your average rulers. They were very kind and shared their wealth with all the townspeople. Instead of living in a castle, they lived in a regular home just like everyone else. The parties that they hosted were not just for the wealthy, but for everyone in town. Many days were spent with everyone laughing and dancing under the beautiful pink blooms of the cherry blossom trees.

As used in the story, what does the word “hosted” mean?

Possible Answers:

To serve people

To have people as guests

To rule a kingdom

To turn people away

Correct answer:

To have people as guests

Explanation:

Let’s use our context clues to help us answer this question. “The parties that they hosted were not just for the wealthy” When you have a party, you invite people as guests. Therefore, the correct answer is “To have people as guests”.

Example Question #1 : Use Text Features

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. 

Where can the answer to the question below be found in the passages?

What animals can be found in a zoo?

Possible Answers:

Jungles

Visiting a Zoo

African Safari

Deserts

Correct answer:

Visiting a Zoo

Explanation:

We want to use the headings in these passages to help us answer this question. The question is asking which animals can be found in the zoo. The keyword is "zoo". This answer can be found in the "Visiting a Zoo" section. 

Example Question #43 : Reading

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 has 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 habitats 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 cheetahs call home. However, many other animals call the plains 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 rainforests. 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, brightly-colored parrots can be seen flying from tree to tree. Much bigger animals, such as gorillas and jaguars also live within all of the trees of the rainforest.

If we wanted to learn where we could see African animals, which text would we use?

Possible Answers:

Text 2

Text 1

Correct answer:

Text 1

Explanation:

To answer this question we can start by looking at the texts’ titles. Text 1 is “Where to See African Animals” and Text 2 is “African Animals”. This question specifically asks about seeing African animals, we could use Text 1 because based on the title, that is what that text will be about.

Example Question #44 : Reading

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 has 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 habitats 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 cheetahs call home. However, many other animals call the plains 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 rainforests. 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, brightly-colored parrots can be seen flying from tree to tree. Much bigger animals, such as gorillas and jaguars also live within all of the trees of the rainforest.

If we wanted to learn about African animals, which text would we use?

Possible Answers:

Text 2

Text 1

Correct answer:

Text 2

Explanation:

To answer this question we can start by looking at the texts’ titles. Text 1 is “Where to See African Animals” and Text 2 is “African Animals”. For this question, we want to learn about African animals. Since we want to learn about African animals, and not just see them, we should use Text 2 because it has a general title about African animals.

Example Question #45 : Reading

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 has 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 habitats 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 cheetahs call home. However, many other animals call the plains 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 rainforests. 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, brightly-colored parrots can be seen flying from tree to tree. Much bigger animals, such as gorillas and jaguars also live within all of the trees of the rainforest.

What section of Text 2 would I use to learn about cheetahs?

Possible Answers:

Plains

Desert

Jungles

Correct answer:

Plains

Explanation:

Since this question is asking about cheetahs, we should use the “Plains” section of the text because this is the section that explains animals that live in this region including cheetahs.

Example Question #1 : Use Text Features

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 has 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 habitats 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 cheetahs call home. However, many other animals call the plains 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 rainforests. 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, brightly-colored parrots can be seen flying from tree to tree. Much bigger animals, such as gorillas and jaguars also live within all of the trees of the rainforest.

What section of Text 2 would I use to learn about monkeys?

Possible Answers:

Deserts

Plains

Jungles

Correct answer:

Jungles

Explanation:

Since this question is asking about monkeys, we should use the “Jungles” section of the text since this is where they live.

Example Question #2 : Use Text Features

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 has 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 habitats 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 cheetahs call home. However, many other animals call the plains 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 rainforests. 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, brightly-colored parrots can be seen flying from tree to tree. Much bigger animals, such as gorillas and jaguars also live within all of the trees of the rainforest.

What section of Text 2 would I use to learn about camels?

Possible Answers:

Plains

Jungle

Desert

Correct answer:

Desert

Explanation:

Since this question is asking about camels, we should use the “Desert” section of the text since this is the area of Africa that is very hot and is where camels live.

Example Question #3 : Use Text Features

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 has 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 habitats 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 cheetahs call home. However, many other animals call the plains 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 rainforests. 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, brightly-colored parrots can be seen flying from tree to tree. Much bigger animals, such as gorillas and jaguars also live within all of the trees of the rainforest.

What section of the Text 2 describe animals that live in very hot, dry places?

Possible Answers:

Desert

Jungles

Plains

Correct answer:

Desert

Explanation:

Looking at Text 2, we see that desert animals can live in very hot, dry places. This answer is found in the “Desert” section of Text 2.

All Common Core: 3rd Grade English Language Arts Resources

1 Diagnostic Test 77 Practice Tests Question of the Day Flashcards Learn by Concept
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