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Worksheet8th GradeLevel 2 · Standard

Free 8th Grade Academic Vocabulary Worksheet

Students build the vocabulary that assessment questions and essays rely on: analyze, evaluate, justify, infer, significant, hypothesis and more. They define key terms, choose the right academic word in context, upgrade everyday phrases to formal equivalents, and write a short analytical paragraph. Knowing exactly what a task word demands is one of the biggest factors in exam performance across every subject.

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Grade
8th Grade
Subject
English
Topic
Vocabulary
Difficulty
Level 2 · Standard
Estimated time
20 minutes
Curriculum
Texas grade levels (TEKS)
Questions
20
Answers
Included, with working
Format
PDF (A4), print or complete online

Students will practice

  • defining common academic task words
  • choosing academic vocabulary in context
  • replacing everyday phrases with formal equivalents
  • using academic vocabulary in analytical writing

Curriculum: Texas grade levels (TEKS). We show specific outcome codes only where they have been verified against the official curriculum document.

What's next?

Completed: Academic Vocabulary

  1. 1Shades of Meaning: Choosing Precise Synonyms
  2. 2Idioms, Clichés and Euphemisms
  3. 3Persuasive Techniques in Speeches
  4. 4The Day Before — Narrative Writing

How to use this worksheet

  1. Print the PDF or complete it on screen. Write the student's name and date at the top.
  2. Read the instructions for each part together before starting. Encourage working to be shown.
  3. Mark with the answer sheet. Use the model answers and success criteria as a guide rather than a single right answer.
  4. Record the score, celebrate what went well, then follow the "What's next" suggestion.

Common questions

Who is this worksheet for?

8th Grade students (typically ages 13–14) working on vocabulary. It is pitched at level 2 · standard.

Are the answers included?

Yes. The PDF includes a full answer sheet with model answers and success criteria where there is more than one good answer. You can also view the answers online.

How long does it take?

About 20 minutes for 20 questions. Short, regular sessions work best: two or three a week beats one long one.

Do I need to sign up to download?

No. Click Download Free PDF and it opens immediately. It is free for personal, classroom and homeschool use.

What should we do next?

Try Shades of Meaning: Choosing Precise Synonyms.

Preview

Success TutoringWorksheets8th Grade · English · Vocabulary

Academic Vocabulary

Name

Date

Score /

Academic words are precise. Learn exactly what each task word asks you to do.

Part A: Task words

These words appear in exam questions and essay tasks. Circle the correct meaning.

1.analyze
  1. Aexamine in detail to understand how the parts work
  2. Bcopy exactly
  3. Cignore
  4. Dsummarize briefly
2.evaluate
  1. Adescribe
  2. Bjudge the value or quality of
  3. Clist
  4. Drepeat
3.significant
  1. Atiny
  2. Bimportant or meaningful
  3. Cconfusing
  4. Dquick
4.hypothesis
  1. Aa proven fact
  2. Ba testable explanation or prediction
  3. Ca final conclusion
  4. Da measurement
5.contrast
  1. Ashow the differences between
  2. Bshow the similarities between
  3. Csummarize
  4. Dprove
6.justify
  1. Agive reasons or evidence to support
  2. Bdisagree with
  3. Cshorten
  4. Drewrite
7.summarize
  1. Aexplain in great detail
  2. Bgive the main points briefly
  3. Cargue against
  4. Dcompare
8.infer
  1. Astate directly
  2. Bwork out from clues and evidence
  3. Cmeasure
  4. Ddefine

Part B: Choose the academic word

Write the word that fits the sentence.

9.The data (answer space) that temperatures are rising. (indicates / wonders)
10.Scientists (answer space) a clear trend in the results. (identified / invented)
11.The author (answer space) that fast fashion harms the environment. (argues / sings)
12.The two experiments were (answer space); they used the same method. (consistent / random)
Free worksheets at worksheets.successtutoring.com · © Success Tutoring · Free for personal and classroom use

Preview — the PDF contains the full resource and answer sheet.

More 8th Grade vocabulary resources

  • Worksheet

    Shades of Meaning: Choosing Precise Synonyms

    Students learn that synonyms are rarely exact matches: words such as walk, stroll, march and trudge share a basic meaning but differ in…

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    Time
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  • Worksheet

    Idioms, Clichés and Euphemisms

    Students learn to identify and use three kinds of non-literal language. Idioms are fixed phrases whose meaning cannot be worked out from…

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    Time
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Vocabulary in other year levels

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About this resource

Created by
Success Tutoring
Last reviewed
1 October 2026
How it was made
Written by our team

Free to print and share for personal, classroom and homeschool use. Please don't resell. Spotted an error? Let us know.