Common Core State Standards
8th Grade ELA Standards
All 41 Common Core English language arts standards for 8th grade, grouped into strands and written in plain English. The official wording is one click away. 1 has free practice you can print today.
41 standards
Reading: Literature RL
9 standardsKey Ideas and Details
RL.8.1
Quote the lines from a story, play or poem that prove a point about it best, including points the text only implies.
Official wording
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.8.2
Find a story's theme, trace how the characters, setting and plot build it, and sum the story up without taking sides.
Official wording
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
RL.8.3
Explain how one line of dialogue or one event moves the plot along, shows what a character is like, or pushes a decision.
Official wording
Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
Craft and Structure
RL.8.4
Work out what words mean in a story or poem, including a comparison or a nod to another text, and say how they set the tone.
Official wording
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
RL.8.5
Compare how two or more poems or stories are built, like a sonnet beside free verse, and say what each shape adds to the meaning.
Official wording
Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style.
RL.8.6
Explain how a gap between what a character knows and what the reader knows, like dramatic irony, builds suspense or humor.
Official wording
Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.8.7
Judge how closely a film or stage version of a story follows the text, and weigh the choices the director or actors made.
Official wording
Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs from the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the director or actors.
RL.8.8
(RL.8.8 not applicable to literature)Not applicable
RL.8.9
Show how a modern novel reuses a theme, plot pattern or character type from a myth, folk tale or the Bible, and how it makes it new.
Official wording
Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.8.10
Read stories, plays and poems at the top of the grades 6 to 8 level on your own by the end of the year.
Official wording
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Reading: Informational Text RI
10 standardsKey Ideas and Details
RI.8.1
Back a point about an article or essay with the strongest evidence in it, for what it states outright and for what it implies.
Official wording
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RI.8.2
Find an article's central idea, trace how the supporting ideas build it across the text, and summarize it without opinion.
Official wording
Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.
RI.8.3
Explain how a nonfiction writer connects people, ideas or events or sets them apart, say by comparing them or sorting them into groups.
Official wording
Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).
Craft and Structure
RI.8.4
Work out what words and technical terms mean in an article, and say how the writer's word choices, including allusions, shape the tone.
Official wording
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
RI.8.5
Take one paragraph apart and explain the job each sentence does in building and sharpening a key idea.
Official wording
Analyze in detail the structure of a specific paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in developing and refining a key concept.
RI.8.6
Find the author's point of view or purpose, and explain how the author deals with evidence and viewpoints that cut against it.
Official wording
Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RI.8.7
Weigh the pros and cons of presenting a topic in print, in a video or on a web page with mixed media.
Official wording
Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.
RI.8.8
Lay out a text's argument and its claims, judge whether the reasoning holds and the evidence is enough, and spot evidence that is off topic.
Official wording
Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.
RI.8.9
Compare two or more texts that disagree about the same topic and pinpoint where they differ on facts or on how to read the facts.
Official wording
Analyze a case in which two or more texts provide conflicting information on the same topic and identify where the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RI.8.10
Read literary nonfiction, like memoirs and speeches, at the top of the grades 6 to 8 level on your own by the end of the year.
Official wording
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Writing W
10 standardsText Types and Purposes
W.8.1
Write an argument that states a claim, answers the other side's best point, backs each reason with credible evidence, and closes in a formal style.
Official wording
Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidenceaIntroduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.bSupport claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.cUse words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.dEstablish and maintain a formal style.eProvide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
W.8.2
Write an explanatory piece that previews its topic, groups ideas under headings, uses precise terms and well-chosen facts, and ends on a conclusion.
Official wording
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.aIntroduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.bDevelop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.cUse appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.dUse precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.eEstablish and maintain a formal style.fProvide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.
W.8.3
Write a story that sets up a narrator and setting, uses dialogue, pacing and reflection, signals shifts in time, and ends by reflecting on the events.
Official wording
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.aEngage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.bUse narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.cUse a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence, signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another, and show the relationships among experiences and events.dUse precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.eProvide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.8.4
Match a piece of writing's organization and style to its task, its purpose and its readers.
Official wording
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
W.8.5
Plan, revise, edit and rewrite a draft with some help, asking whether it serves its purpose and readers, and fix grammar up to the 8th-grade rules.
Official wording
With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1-3 up to and including grade 8 here.)
W.8.6
Use a computer and the internet to write, publish and share work, showing how ideas connect, and to work with others on it.
Official wording
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.8.7
Run a short research project on a question, including one you came up with, using several sources and raising new focused questions along the way.
Official wording
Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
W.8.8
Search print and online sources well, judge how reliable each one is, and quote or paraphrase them with citations instead of copying.
Official wording
Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
W.8.9
Use evidence from stories and nonfiction in your own writing, applying the 8th-grade reading skills to the texts you cite.
Official wording
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.aApply grade 8 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new").bApply grade 8 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., "Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced").
Range of Writing
W.8.10
Write often, both longer pieces you research and revise over weeks and short pieces finished in a sitting, across school subjects.
Official wording
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Speaking and Listening SL
6 standardsComprehension and Collaboration
SL.8.1
Come prepared to a discussion with evidence, follow the group's rules and roles, link speakers' ideas with questions, and adjust your view when the evidence warrants.
Official wording
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.aCome to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.bFollow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.cPose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others' questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas.dAcknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views in light of the evidence presented.
SL.8.2
Analyze why information is presented in a chart, video or speech, and judge the social, commercial or political motive behind it.
Official wording
Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation.
SL.8.3
Break down a speaker's argument, judge whether the reasoning holds and the evidence is enough, and catch evidence that is beside the point.
Official wording
Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the evidence and identifying when irrelevant evidence is introduced.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.8.4
Present a claim and findings in a focused order with evidence, sound reasoning and well-chosen details, speaking clearly, loudly enough and with eye contact.
Official wording
Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
SL.8.5
Add slides, images or video to a presentation where they make the information clearer, strengthen the evidence or add interest.
Official wording
Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.
SL.8.6
Switch between casual and formal English to fit the setting, and speak in formal English when the task calls for it.
Official wording
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grade 8 Language standards 1 and 3 here for specific expectations.)
Language L
6 standardsConventions of Standard English
L.8.1
Explain what gerunds, participles and infinitives do in a sentence, use active and passive voice and the five verb moods, and fix a stray shift in either.
Official wording
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.aExplain the function of verbals (gerunds, participles, infinitives) in general and their function in particular sentences.bForm and use verbs in the active and passive voice.cForm and use verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood.dRecognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice and mood.*
L.8.2
Use a comma, ellipsis or dash to mark a pause or break, an ellipsis for words left out, and spell correctly.
Official wording
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.aUse punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or break.bUse an ellipsis to indicate an omission.cSpell correctly.
Knowledge of Language
L.8.3
Choose active or passive voice and the conditional or subjunctive mood for an effect, like stressing who acted or saying If I were you.
Official wording
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.aUse verbs in the active and passive voice and in the conditional and subjunctive mood to achieve particular effects (e.g., emphasizing the actor or the action; expressing uncertainty or describing a state contrary to fact).
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.8.4
Work out an unfamiliar 8th-grade word from context, from Greek and Latin roots like precede and recede, or from a dictionary, then check the guess.
Official wording
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.aUse context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word's position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.bUse common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., precede, recede, secede).cConsult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.dVerify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
L.8.5
Read verbal irony and puns in context, use word relationships, and tell apart near-synonyms like firm, stubborn and resolute by their shades of meaning.
Official wording
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.aInterpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns) in context.bUse the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words.cDistinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., bullheaded, willful, firm, persistent, resolute).
L.8.6
Learn and use the academic and subject-specific words an 8th grader meets, and look up any word that matters to understanding or expressing an idea.
Official wording
Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
8th Grade Practice
Worksheet generators and printables already set up for this grade’s standards, free to use.
8th Grade ELA Standards: Questions
Common Core State Standards © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved. Official wording from the Common Core State Standards PDFs at corestandards.org, last checked October 14, 2026. The plain-English lines on this page are EMStudio’s own explanations, shown beside the official wording. They are not part of the standard.