Worksheet

Robotics Results: Tighten the News Report

Edit a school robotics competition report for precise words, concise sentences, and accurate details.

Grade 7ELAInteractive · Printable

Aligned toL.7.3.a

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Single worksheet
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1 Common Core standard
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14 questions
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Details

Format: Interactive · Printable
Grade: Grade 7
Subject: ELA
Question types: Multiple choice, Circle the answer, Short answer

About this worksheet

What students practice

Students replace vague or wordy expressions with precise words.
Students eliminate repetition while preserving facts, qualifications, and attribution.
Students explain why a concise revision communicates the original meaning accurately.

How to use

Read the fictional news report, then complete the editing tasks independently. Compare the final revisions with a partner, checking that cuts preserve the facts.

Curriculum

Common Core standard covered

L.7.3.a

Choose words that express ideas precisely and concisely, cutting wordiness and repetition.

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Name Date

Robotics Results: Tighten the News Report

Make each word count without changing the facts.

Read and Refine

Read the fictional school news report. Choose revisions that are precise and concise without removing necessary information.

A Careful Finish at the Robotics Meet

1Students from Bellwick Middle School returned Saturday with first place in the beginner division of a regional robotics competition. Their robot transported foam supply blocks across a marked course and placed them on shelves. The competition included beginner and advanced divisions, with separate rankings for each. Bellwick entered only the beginner division, which included eight teams.

2During the opening round, Bellwick’s robot developed a problem near the second shelf. Its wheels stopped turning for six seconds, although the motor continued humming. A yellow boundary stripe ran beside the shelf. Judges watched from behind a low barrier. The robot eventually completed the route, but the delay reduced the team’s score.

3Between rounds, team member Zoya Menon examined the robot’s lifting arm. She discovered that a loose cable was catching beneath a wheel. Zoya secured the cable with a clip while teammate Idris Vale checked the route instructions. The students kept the original program rather than rewriting it. Their adjustment addressed a mechanical problem, not a programming error.

4In the final round, the robot delivered seven blocks in ninety seconds. It had delivered five blocks during its opening round, which also lasted ninety seconds. Both rounds used the same course. The final score placed Bellwick ahead of the other beginner teams, although an advanced team delivered more blocks on a different course.

5Team captain Renata Park credited the students’ repair checklist. “We checked one possible cause at a time instead of changing everything,” she said. Coach Mr. Vang said the students had practiced that method during meetings. Neither the coach nor the students claimed that the checklist could prevent every equipment problem. The loose cable had escaped notice during practice.

6The team plans to demonstrate the robot during next month’s school activities period. A room has not been assigned, so the demonstration’s location remains unconfirmed. Students will explain how they identified the cable problem and why they left the program unchanged. Renata hopes the demonstration will show that troubleshooting involves careful decisions as well as quick repairs.

An editor wants to replace “developed a problem” in paragraph 2 with a precise verb. Which revision best fits the robot’s wheel movement?

A. The robot reversed near the second shelf.
B. The robot swerved near the second shelf.
C. The robot accelerated near the second shelf.
D. The robot stalled near the second shelf.

In paragraph 2, underline the sentence describing the pause in wheel movement that supports the verb chosen in question 1.

During the opening round, Bellwick’s robot developed a problem near the second shelf.Its wheels stopped turning for six seconds, although the motor continued humming.A yellow boundary stripe ran beside the shelf.Judges watched from behind a low barrier.The robot eventually completed the route, but the delay reduced the team’s score.

A proposed headline reads, “Bellwick Team Is the Winner of First Place in the Beginner Division.” Which headline removes wordiness while preserving the result’s scope?

A. Bellwick Leads Both Divisions
B. Bellwick Earns Beginner Division Entry
C. Bellwick Wins Beginner Division
D. Bellwick Wins Regional Competition

Revise this proposed sentence: “Zoya made an examination of the lifting arm and made the discovery of a loose cable.” Which choice replaces wordy noun phrases with direct verbs?

A. Zoya examined the lifting arm and discovered a loose cable.
B. Zoya discovered the lifting arm and examined a loose cable.
C. Zoya examined the loose cable and replaced the lifting arm.
D. Zoya examined the lifting arm after replacing a loose cable.

A draft says, “The students did not consider it necessary to make changes to the program.” Which revision expresses the same decision most concisely?

A. The students could not change the program.
B. The students considered program changes unnecessary.
C. The students considered the program unnecessary.
D. The students postponed necessary program changes.

A results sentence reads, “The final round produced a better performance.” Which replacement communicates the improvement precisely, using paragraph 4?

A. The robot delivered two more blocks in the same time.
B. The robot delivered seven blocks in less time than before.
C. The robot delivered more blocks than the advanced team.
D. The robot delivered the same blocks on a harder course.

Which revision of “The location of the demonstration has not been confirmed at this point in time” is most concise without changing its status?

A. The demonstration’s location was confirmed.
B. The demonstration’s location is unavailable.
C. The demonstration’s location is unconfirmed.
D. The demonstration’s location has changed.

Make the Final Cuts

Edit proposed additions to the report. Keep meaningful distinctions, even when a shorter sentence is possible.

A proposed addition reads, “It is important to note the fact that the loose cable had escaped notice during practice.” Which version states the fact directly, without an unnecessary introduction?

A. The loose cable had escaped notice during practice.
B. It should be noted that the loose cable escaped notice during practice.
C. An important fact is that practice did not reveal the loose cable.
D. The fact worth noting is that the loose cable escaped notice during practice.

Underline the TWO proposed sentences that contain unnecessary repetition within the sentence. Do not select a sentence merely because its information appears in the report.

The team inspected the cable before testing the wheel.The students cooperated together during the repair.The team tested the robot without changing its program.The final score was recorded in a written record.The robot completed the route despite the delay.

10.

A draft says, “Zoya secured the cable. At the same time, Idris checked the instructions.” Which combination removes repeated sentence structure while preserving the simultaneous actions?

A. Zoya and Idris secured the cable and checked the instructions.
B. Zoya secured the cable while Idris checked the instructions.
C. Before Zoya secured the cable, Idris checked the instructions.
D. After Zoya secured the cable, Idris checked the instructions.

11.

A proposed photo caption reads, “A clip held the cable away from the wheel so that the cable would not catch beneath the wheel.” Which revision cuts repeated words while retaining both the clip’s position and purpose?

A. A clip held the wheel away from the cable to prevent slipping.
B. A clip held the cable away from the wheel to prevent snagging.
C. A clip held the cable near the wheel to keep it secure.
D. A clip held the cable and wheel together to prevent movement.

12.

An editor shortens “Renata credited the checklist with helping the team locate the problem” to “The checklist located the problem.” Why should the editor reject this cut?

A. It adds a new explanation for why the loose cable escaped notice during practice.
B. It suggests that Renata disagreed with the team about the problem’s cause.
C. It makes the checklist sound less useful than Renata believed it had been.
D. It replaces Renata’s assessment with a claim that the checklist acted on its own.

13.

Revise this proposed sentence in no more than 18 words: “According to what Coach Mr. Vang said, the students had previously practiced the method before during meetings.” Preserve the source, the earlier practice, and where it occurred. Then explain one cut you made.

14.

Revise this proposed update in no more than 30 words: “The students plan to give a demonstration showing how they found the cable problem. The demonstration will also show why they kept the program unchanged. The location where this demonstration will take place is not confirmed.” Preserve the plan, both demonstration topics, and the uncertainty about the location. Then explain why cutting “plan to” would change the meaning.