Dialects & Registers · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Dialects and Registers in Stories

English · Vocabulary · ages 10-11
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Which sentence is written in a formal register?

    • Gonna go now, bye!
    • Hey, what's up?
    • Dear Sir, I am writing to request information.

  2. Which sentence uses a dialect word instead of standard English?

    • I think we should leave now.
    • I reckon we should leave now.
    • We should leave now.

  3. A dialect is a way of speaking used by people from a certain place or group.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. A story has a formal narrator but a character who speaks informally. What is most likely true?

    • The author is showing contrast between characters
    • The book has a printing error
    • The narrator and character are the same person

  5. A story character from the countryside says 'y'all' and 'fixin' to.' Why might the author choose this dialect?

    • To confuse the reader on purpose
    • To show the character is from a specific region
    • Because the author made a spelling mistake

  6. Read: 'I dinnae ken what yer on about.' What does this dialogue tell you about the speaker?

    • They are speaking very formally
    • They likely speak a Scottish dialect
    • They are reading from a dictionary

  7. A play has one character who speaks in old-fashioned, formal English and another who speaks in modern slang. What does this contrast most likely show?

    • A mistake by the playwright
    • A difference in the characters' backgrounds or personalities
    • That the play is set in only one time period

  8. Maya says an author only uses dialect to make a story harder to read. Why is Maya wrong?

    • Maya is actually right
    • Dialect is only used in poems, never stories
    • Dialect usually helps build a character or setting, not confuse readers
LightMySky · lightmysky.comW1-mt_1ro8W1cZYn-s1

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Dialects and Registers in Stories W1-mt_1ro8W1cZYn-s1

  1. Dear Sir, I am writing to request information. · Formal register uses full words and careful, polite language.
  2. I reckon we should leave now. · 'Reckon' is a dialect word some English speakers use instead of 'think.'
  3. True · That's exactly what a dialect is: shared words, grammar, or pronunciation.
  4. The author is showing contrast between characters · Mixing a formal narrator with an informal character is a common storytelling choice.
  5. To show the character is from a specific region · Authors use dialect words on purpose to show where a character comes from.
  6. They likely speak a Scottish dialect · 'Dinnae' and 'ken' are dialect words linked to Scottish English.
  7. A difference in the characters' backgrounds or personalities · Authors mix registers to highlight differences between characters, like age or background.
  8. Dialect usually helps build a character or setting, not confuse readers · Authors use dialect on purpose, to make characters and settings feel real.
Worksheet · LightMySky