Evidence-Based Writing · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Backing up your writing with evidence

English · Writing Composition · ages 9-11
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. What does it mean to cite a source in your writing?

    • Copy the whole article word for word
    • Say where your fact or idea came from
    • Only use your own ideas, no facts needed

  2. You're writing about ocean pollution. Which sentence uses evidence from a text, not just your own opinion?

    • According to National Geographic, 8 million tons of plastic enter the ocean every year.
    • I think the ocean is really dirty and gross.
    • Everyone should care about the ocean.

  3. It's fine to use a fact from a text in your writing without saying where it came from.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Source A says wolves help forests by controlling deer numbers. Source B says wolves can threaten livestock. A summary using both sources should...

    • Explain both sides
    • Only explain Source A's point about deer control
    • Pick whichever source sounds more interesting

  5. Which is the best paraphrase of: 'Sharks have existed for over 400 million years'?

    • Sharks have existed for over 400 million years.
    • Sharks are cool and really old.
    • Sharks lived over 400 million years.

  6. You're writing a report on climate change. Which detail belongs in your paragraph as evidence?

    • A guess about what might be true
    • A fact from a science article, with the source named
    • A sentence copied exactly from a webpage with no citation

  7. Two articles about school lunches: one says cafeteria food is healthy, the other says it needs more vegetables. Which sentence best synthesizes them?

    • One article says lunches are healthy, the other says they need more vegetables, so views differ.
    • Cafeteria food is perfect just the way it is.
    • Cafeteria food is bad and should be thrown out.

  8. Sam wrote: 'Studies show tigers are dangerous,' without naming which study this came from. What's the problem?

    • There is no problem with this
    • The sentence is too short
    • The claim has no named, checkable source
LightMySky · lightmysky.comW1-mt_ZxdfRbwkKM-s1

Answer key

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

Backing up your writing with evidence W1-mt_ZxdfRbwkKM-s1

  1. Say where your fact or idea came from · Citing means telling the reader where you got the information, like the book or website title.
  2. According to National Geographic, 8 million tons of plastic enter the ocean every year. · The second sentence names a source and gives a specific fact. That's what evidence looks like.
  3. False · Always name where a fact came from. Leaving it out can look like you made it up or took credit for someone else's work.
  4. Explain both sides · Synthesizing means showing what each source says, even when they don't fully agree.
  5. Sharks lived over 400 million years. · A good paraphrase keeps the fact but uses different words. Copying the sentence exactly is plagiarism.
  6. A fact from a science article, with the source named · Strong non-fiction writing points to a real fact from a text, credited to its source.
  7. One article says lunches are healthy, the other says they need more vegetables, so views differ. · A synthesis shows both viewpoints accurately, including where they disagree.
  8. The claim has no named, checkable source · Saying 'studies show' without naming a source means readers can't check the fact. Evidence needs a named source.
Worksheet · LightMySky