Informative Writing Worksheets for Verb Tense Analysis

While our students might have a sound understanding of past, present and future tenses, they may not automatically know which tense should be used in which writing genre. For example, present tense is most commonly used in informative writing, as this helps to present facts as being timeless and universally true. If you were reading a text about plants, you might see the sentence, “Plants need sunlight to grow.” If a different tense were used, the meaning would change completely! 

These informative writing worksheets have been designed by the Teach Starter team to help your students explore this concept in detail. The resource includes two distinct but related activities:

• Text Analysis Activity – This component of the resource includes an informative text about axolotls with comprehension questions that guide students to notice how present tense is used in the text and the effect this tense has on creating meaning.
• Text Comparison Activity – This component of the resources includes two versions of the same informative text about honeybees: one written in present tense and one in past tense. This activity also includes questions to guide students in analyzing how tense use in each text impacts tone, clarity and purpose. 

This resource downloads as a black-and-white PDF or editable Google Slides file. The download also includes an answer key to make grading the worksheets fast and easy. 

Read on to learn how you might implement these informative writing worksheets in your classroom.

Informational Writing Worksheets: Simple Lesson Steps for Classroom Success

If you’re early in your teaching journey, this resource takes the guesswork out of lesson planning. Here’s a straightforward way to implement these informational writing worksheets in your classroom:

1. Activate Prior Knowledge – Begin with a question: “When we share facts, are we talking about something happening now, or something that already happened?” You may hear mixed responses, which provide a perfect entry point.
2. Model the Concept – Write two sentences on the board in different tenses (e.g. Bears are carnivores vs Bears were carnivores). Ask students which sounds more like a fact and why. 
3. Guided Reading Task – Distribute the worksheet and read the first text about axolotls together. Highlight the verbs as a class and identify the tense. This helps visual learners connect grammar to meaning.
4. Comprehension and Analysis – Have students complete the accompanying questions in small groups, pairs or independently (depending on their needs). This is where a deeper understanding of tense in informative writing develops.
5. Comparison Activity – Read through the two texts on honeybees as a class (present vs past tense). Have students complete the accompanying questions in small groups, pairs or independently (depending on their needs).
6. Review – Using the provided answer sheet, review the answers to the worksheets as a class. This provides the perfect opportunity for students to ask any clarifying questions about the activity and the use of present tense in informative writing.

Download These Informative Writing Worksheets PDF Instantly

Ready to get your hands on this resource? Use the Download button above to access your preferred version. (Note: You will be prompted to make a copy of the Google Slides template on your personal drive before accessing it.)

As this resource contains answers, you may wish to print one copy only, then remove the answer sheet before making further copies.

Print the worksheets for immediate classroom use (double-sided, if you can!) or save time at the photocopier by projecting them onto a digital screen.

This resource was created by Kaylyn Chupp, a teacher in Florida and a Teach Starter collaborator.

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