Each worksheet starts with two easy questions and finishes with two hard ones, so most Year 8 children can begin on their own and will have to think by the end. The harder questions often give a short piece of writing to read first. The answers print on a separate page, with a short explanation for every question, so you can mark it together.
A good habit: for two or three answers, ask your child to point to the word or sentence that told them. If they can't find it, the explanation shows where to look.
On this page
Language that judges
Language that judges: worksheet 1
Name Date Score / 10
The questions get harder as you go. Circle the letter of your answer, or write it on the line.
- 1
Which word is a positive judgement?
- Adull
- Bimpressive
- Cmessy
- 2
A reviewer is describing a long, boring film. Which word is a negative judgement?
- Atedious
- Bthrilling
- Chilarious
- 3
Which list goes from the weakest praise to the strongest?
- Aoutstanding, good, impressive
- Bgood, impressive, outstanding
- Cimpressive, outstanding, good
- 4
Which is the strongest criticism?
- Anot bad
- Ba bit weak
- Cdreadful
- 5
Which evidence best supports the judgement “The museum tour is excellent for families”?
- AIt has hands-on activities for children and a café with high chairs.
- BI went there once.
- CThe museum is in the city.
- 6
“The film is visually stunning but emotionally empty.” What is the reviewer's overall view?
- Acompletely negative
- Bmixed: it praises the look but criticises the emotion
- Ccompletely positive
- 7
Which sentence best substantiates the judgement “The documentary is eye-opening”?
- AIt shows that a third of the fish species in the river have disappeared in just 20 years.
- BIt is really eye-opening.
- CEveryone should watch it.
- 8
“The new skate park is a triumph.” Which word carries the judgement?
- Anew
- Bskate
- Ctriumph
- 9
Read the review. “Coral Drift is a gorgeous film to look at. The underwater scenes shimmer with colour, and the soundtrack is haunting. Sadly, the story never matches the visuals: the villain is a cardboard cut-out, and the ending feels rushed.” What is the reviewer's overall judgement?
- Abeautiful to look at, but let down by its story
- Bexcellent in every way
- Cpoor in every way
- Dabout the ocean, with no opinion given
- 10
In the Coral Drift review, which words criticise the villain?
- Ahaunting
- Bshimmer with colour
- Ca cardboard cut-out
Answers: Language that judges: worksheet 1
- B: impressive Impressive is praise.
- A: tedious Tedious means long and boring. It is a criticism.
- B: good, impressive, outstanding Good is mild, impressive is stronger and outstanding is at the top.
- C: dreadful Dreadful is at the bottom of the scale: very bad.
- A: It has hands-on activities for children and a café with high chairs. These details show why the tour suits families.
- B: mixed: it praises the look but criticises the emotion Stunning is praise for the visuals, and empty is criticism of the feelings.
- A: It shows that a third of the fish species in the river have disappeared in just 20 years. It gives a specific, surprising fact from the documentary that explains why it opens your eyes.
- C: triumph Triumph is a noun that judges the skate park as a great success.
- A: beautiful to look at, but let down by its story The reviewer praises the visuals and soundtrack but criticises the villain and the ending.
- C: a cardboard cut-out Calling the villain a cardboard cut-out means he is flat and unrealistic.
Spelling rules
Spelling rules: worksheet 1
Name Date Score / 10
The questions get harder as you go. Circle the letter of your answer, or write it on the line.
- 1
Choose the correct spelling: “Please ___ the recycling from the rubbish.”
- Aseparat
- Bseparate
- Cseperate
- 2
Which is correct? “I ___ you can win the final.”
- Abelieve
- Bbeleive
- Cbelive
- 3
Which word in this sentence is misspelt? “The chief recieved a letter from the council.”
- Achief
- Bletter
- Crecieved
- Dcouncil
- 4
Take off the ending and a whole word is left. Which word fits this pattern?
- Aterrible
- Bvisible
- Cpossible
- Ddependable
- 5
Distant ends in a, n, t. Which is correct? “The ___ to the coast is 80 kilometres.”
- Adistanse
- Bdistence
- Cdistance
- 6
The base word ends in e. Which word keeps that e before able?
- Achangeable
- Bvaluable
- Cusable
- Dbelievable
- 7
Which sentence about the singer has no spelling mistakes?
- AHer confidence grew with every performence.
- BHer confidense grew with every performance.
- CHer confidance grew with every performance.
- DHer confidence grew with every performance.
- 8
Which word in this sentence is misspelt? “The enviroment report was reliable and accessible.”
- Aaccessible
- Benviroment
- Creport
- Dreliable
- 9
Read the notice. Which word is misspelt? “Students are responsible for their belongings. Lost property is collected seperately each Wednesday, and it is definitely not the office’s responsibility.”
- AWednesday
- Bresponsible
- Cseperately
- Dresponsibility
- 10
Which list has every word spelt correctly?
- Anoticeable, changable, valuable
- Bnoticeable, changeable, valueable
- Cnoticable, changeable, valuable
- Dnoticeable, changeable, valuable
Answers: Spelling rules: worksheet 1
- B: separate Separate. There's a rat in separate.
- A: believe Believe. The letters say ee and there's no c in front, so it's i before e.
- C: recieved It should be received. After c, the letters that say ee are e, i.
- D: dependable Dependable: depend is a whole word, so it takes able. Terr, vis and poss are not words.
- C: distance Distance. Distant has a, n, t, so the noun ends in a, n, c, e.
- A: changeable Changeable keeps the e so the g still sounds soft, like j. Valuable, usable and believable drop the e.
- D: Her confidence grew with every performance. Confidence (from confident) and performance are both spelt correctly.
- B: enviroment It should be environment: environ plus ment.
- C: seperately It should be separately: there's a rat in separate, then l, y. Responsible, Wednesday and responsibility are all correct.
- D: noticeable, changeable, valuable Noticeable and changeable keep the e after a soft c or g. Valuable drops the e from value.
Reading digital texts
Reading digital texts: worksheet 1
Name Date Score / 10
The questions get harder as you go. Circle the letter of your answer, or write it on the line.
- 1
On a web page, blue underlined words usually mean...
- Athe most important word
- Ba hyperlink you can click
- Ca spelling mistake
- 2
In a text message, what does "brb" mean?
- Abe right back
- Bbring real bread
- Cbig red bus
- 3
Which is the best way to start an email to a teacher?
- Ayo miss
- BDear Ms Chen,
- Chey!!
- 4
Which features are typical of clickbait headlines?
- Ashocking words, capital letters and a promise you won't believe it
- Ba clear statement of the facts
- Cthe writer's name and the date
- 5
Which comment responds most respectfully to an article about banning phones at school?
- AThis is the dumbest idea ever.
- BI see the point about distraction, but phones help in emergencies. Could they be kept in lockers?
- CFIRST!!!
- Dlol
- 6
Which link text is the most helpful to a reader?
- ARead the council's full pool report
- BLink
- CClick here
- DMore
- 7
Before reading an article about a new skate park, Lily reads the top comment: "Waste of money, total disaster." How might this affect her reading?
- AIt won't affect her at all.
- BIt tells her who wrote the article.
- CIt proves the skate park is a waste of money.
- DShe may expect the article to be bad news before she even sees the facts.
- 8
Which features make a website MOST trustworthy for a school assignment?
- Alots of likes and shares
- Ba shocking headline
- Ca named expert writer, a recent date and links to the original research
- Da bright design with videos
- 9
Source A: a news website article, "Council approves Kauri Creek skate park", by journalist Ana Petrovic, dated 3 May, with a link to the council meeting minutes. Source B: a social media post: "BREAKING: skate park CANCELLED!!! My cousin works at council, trust me." Which is more reliable, and why?
- ASource A, because it has a named writer, a date and a link to the official record
- BSource B, because the cousin works at council
- CSource B, because BREAKING means it is newer
- DNeither, because both are about skate parks
- 10
Before sharing Source B, what should a careful reader do?
- AShare it quickly in case it is true.
- BAsk the cousin to post again.
- CCount how many people have liked it.
- DCheck the council's website or a trusted news source to see if the claim is true.
Answers: Reading digital texts: worksheet 1
- B: a hyperlink you can click A hyperlink you can click to go to another page.
- A: be right back Be right back. The writer is stepping away for a moment.
- B: Dear Ms Chen, Dear Ms Chen, is polite and formal, which suits a teacher.
- A: shocking words, capital letters and a promise you won't believe it Shocking words, capitals and teasing promises are designed to make you click, not to inform.
- B: I see the point about distraction, but phones help in emergencies. Could they be kept in lockers? It responds to the article, gives a reason, and suggests a solution politely.
- A: Read the council's full pool report It tells the reader exactly where the link goes before they click.
- D: She may expect the article to be bad news before she even sees the facts. Comments can shape how readers see a text. Reading the comment first may colour her view.
- C: a named expert writer, a recent date and links to the original research An accountable writer, a current date and checkable evidence are what make information trustworthy.
- A: Source A, because it has a named writer, a date and a link to the official record Source A can be checked: you know who wrote it and when, and you can read the minutes yourself.
- D: Check the council's website or a trusted news source to see if the claim is true. Going to the original source, or a trusted one, shows whether the post is accurate before you spread it.
Persuasive writing
Persuasive writing: worksheet 1
Name Date Score / 10
The questions get harder as you go. Circle the letter of your answer, or write it on the line.
- 1
What is a persuasive piece trying to do?
- Aconvince the reader to agree with a point of view
- Bexplain how to make something step by step
- Ctell a made-up story with characters
- Ddescribe a place using the five senses
- 2
Where should the reader first find out which side you are on?
- Ain the last paragraph
- Bonly in the title
- Chalfway through the piece
- Din the first paragraph
- 3
Which starter would you use to begin your conclusion?
- ATo sum up,
- BAlthough some argue
- CSecondly,
- DFor instance,
- 4
What is the job of evidence in a persuasive piece?
- Ato state your position for the first time
- Bto back up a reason so the reader believes it
- Cto make the piece longer
- Dto answer the other side's argument
- 5
Which device does this sentence use? "Our creek is full of rubbish, our birds are disappearing and our children have nowhere clean to play."
- Arhetorical question
- Brebuttal
- Cstatistic
- Drule of three
- 6
In this sentence, which part admits the other side's view? "Although uniforms cost money, they save families from buying lots of expensive outfits."
- Athey save families
- BAlthough uniforms cost money
- Cfrom buying lots of expensive outfits
- 7
Ben wrote this as his rebuttal: "Some people say a new pool is too expensive." What is wrong with it?
- AIt does not admit the other view.
- BIt should start with "In conclusion".
- CIt admits the other view but never shows why his side is stronger.
- DIt uses too many statistics.
- 8
Jordan wrote to the mayor: "Fixing the footpath is a total no-brainer, everyone's sick of tripping over!!" Which change would best suit the mayor?
- AAdd a joke so the mayor enjoys reading it.
- BRemove the reason so the letter is shorter.
- CAdd more exclamation marks to show how serious it is.
- DUse a calm tone and add a fact, such as how many people have tripped and been hurt.
- 9
Three of these are evidence for "Our city needs cleaner air". Which is the odd one out?
- AClean air is the most important thing in the world.
- BLast winter, our local hospital treated 30 children for asthma attacks on smoggy days.
- CProfessor Nguyen, an air-quality scientist, says our pollution levels are unsafe on hot days.
- DA 2024 study found air pollution in our city rose by 18% in five years.
- 10
Read this thesis: "Although some think our library should close to save money, it must stay open because it supports students, welcomes older residents and costs little to run." What does it do that a basic thesis does not?
- AIt uses a rhetorical question.
- BIt answers the other side as well as giving a position and reasons.
- CIt gives a statistic as evidence.
- DIt leaves out the writer's position.
Answers: Persuasive writing: worksheet 1
- A: convince the reader to agree with a point of view Persuasive writing gives reasons and evidence so the reader agrees with the writer's position.
- D: in the first paragraph Your thesis goes in the first paragraph, so the reader knows exactly where you stand from the start.
- A: To sum up, To sum up tells the reader you are bringing your argument together at the end.
- B: to back up a reason so the reader believes it Evidence, such as a statistic, an expert's words or a real example, proves that your reason is true.
- D: rule of three The sentence lists three problems in a row: rubbish, disappearing birds and nowhere clean to play.
- B: Although uniforms cost money Although uniforms cost money admits what the other side says. The rest of the sentence turns it around.
- C: It admits the other view but never shows why his side is stronger. A rebuttal needs two moves. Ben admits the other view, but he stops before turning it around.
- D: Use a calm tone and add a fact, such as how many people have tripped and been hurt. A mayor is persuaded by calm reasons and facts. A fact about injuries makes Jordan's point hard to ignore.
- A: Clean air is the most important thing in the world. This is an opinion with no proof. The others are a statistic, an expert's words and a real example.
- B: It answers the other side as well as giving a position and reasons. It starts with Although and admits the other view (saving money) before stating its position, so it includes a mini rebuttal.
Active and passive voice
Active and passive voice: worksheet 1
Name Date Score / 10
The questions get harder as you go. Circle the letter of your answer, or write it on the line.
- 1
Is "The bus was driven by Mr Lo" active or passive?
- Aactive
- Bpassive
- 2
Is "Mia painted the fence" active or passive?
- Apassive
- Bactive
- 3
Change to passive: "The storm damaged the roof."
- AThe storm was damaged by the roof.
- BThe roof was damaged by the storm.
- CThe roof damaged the storm.
- 4
Change to active: "The book was read by Ivy."
- AIvy read the book.
- BIvy was read by the book.
- CThe book read Ivy.
- 5
Change to passive: "Volunteers will plant 500 trees."
- A500 trees were planted by volunteers.
- B500 trees will plant volunteers.
- C500 trees will be planted by volunteers.
- 6
Which sentence hides who stole the money?
- AA thief stole the money.
- BThe money was stolen by a thief.
- CThe money was stolen.
- 7
A news report says "Mistakes were made." What effect does the passive have?
- AIt makes the mistakes sound bigger.
- BIt shows exactly who made the mistakes.
- CIt hides who made the mistakes.
- 8
Rewrite in the passive: "The council is building a new skate park."
- AA new skate park is being built by the council.
- BA new skate park was built by the council.
- CA new skate park is building by the council.
- 9
Which sentence is NOT in the passive voice?
- AThe trip was organised by the teachers.
- BThe children were waiting for the bus.
- CThe buses were booked in March.
- 10
Change to passive: "Someone has eaten my lunch!"
- AMy lunch has been eaten!
- BMy lunch has eaten!
- CMy lunch was eating!
Answers: Active and passive voice: worksheet 1
- B: passive The receiver (the bus) comes first and the verb is was driven, be + past participle. So it is passive.
- B: active Mia (the doer) comes first and does the action, so it is active.
- B: The roof was damaged by the storm. The receiver (the roof) moves to the front, the verb becomes was damaged, and by the storm follows.
- A: Ivy read the book. The doer (Ivy) moves to the front and does the action.
- C: 500 trees will be planted by volunteers. Will plant is future, so the passive is will be planted. The receiver comes first.
- C: The money was stolen. It is passive with no by phrase, so the doer is left out.
- C: It hides who made the mistakes. The passive with no by phrase leaves out the doer, so nobody is blamed.
- A: A new skate park is being built by the council. Is building is present and still going on, so the passive is is being built.
- B: The children were waiting for the bus. Were waiting is be + -ing, which is active. The other two use be + past participle (was organised, were booked).
- A: My lunch has been eaten! Has eaten becomes has been eaten, and someone is left out because we don't know who it was.
The full set for Year 8
With a subscription you can print up to three worksheets for each of the 14 Year 8 English topics from Grown-ups > Worksheets. Every sheet has its own answer page. These are the topics:
Grammar and punctuation
- Language that judges
- Active and passive voice
- Compound-complex sentences
- Participles and gerunds
Spelling
- Spelling rules
- Chameleon prefixes
Reading
- Reading digital texts
- How stories work
- Layers of meaning
- Many voices, many views
- Comparing New Zealand texts
Writing
- Persuasive writing
- Refining your writing
- Writing to inform and to entertain