Ask and Answer About a Story is a free printable Grade 1 English worksheet on answering who, where, when and why about a very short story, aligned to Common Core standard RL.1.1. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.
Set 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
Read each short story, then circle the right answer.
1.Ana could not sleep because the wind was banging the window. Why could Ana not sleep?
A.She was hungry
B.The wind was banging the window
C.Her dog was barking
2.The little fox wanted to cross the river. A kind beaver let him ride on a log. Who helped the fox?
A.A beaver
B.A frog
C.A bear
3.Sam fed the ducks after school. He gave them bread and seeds. When did Sam feed the ducks?
A.After school
B.At night
C.Before breakfast
4.Ben's kite got stuck in a tree. His dad climbed a ladder to get it down. How did the kite get down?
A.His dad climbed a ladder
B.Ben shook the tree
C.The wind blew it down
5.Grandpa made pancakes. Leo ate three and his sister ate two. How many pancakes did Leo eat?
A.Five
B.Two
C.Three
6.Mia lost her red hat at the park. She found it under a bench. Where did Mia find her hat?
A.Under a bench
B.On a swing
C.In her bag
7.Omar's puppy chewed his slipper, so Omar put the slipper on a high shelf. What did the puppy chew?
A.A bone
B.A slipper
C.A shelf
8.Tom planted a bean. He watered it every day, and soon it was taller than him. What did Tom plant?
A.A tree
B.A sunflower
C.A bean
LessonPrint · RL.1.1 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Ask and Answer About a Story
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.The wind was banging the window
2.A beaver
3.After school
4.His dad climbed a ladder
5.Three
6.Under a bench
7.A slipper
8.A bean
Questions about Ask and Answer About a Story
What does the Ask and Answer About a Story worksheet cover?
It practices answering who, where, when and why about a very short story — 8 questions for Grade 1, all on Common Core RL.1.1: Ask and answer questions about the important parts of a story. The instruction to students is “Read each short story, then circle the right answer”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which Common Core standard does Ask and Answer About a Story practice?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.1 — RL.1.1, under Reading: Literature for Grade 1. The published standard reads: “Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.” The worksheet assesses that standard rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
Ask and Answer About a Story is written for Grade 1, typically ages 6-7. It is one of the sheets on RL.1.1, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does Ask and Answer About a Story come with an answer key?
Yes. All 8 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.
How many different versions of Ask and Answer About a Story can I print?
25 — one per student, and all 25 ask different questions. Set 1 downloads the whole class as a single PDF. Every version is fixed to its own address, so a sheet printed today holds the same problems when you reopen it next week.
Is Ask and Answer About a Story free to print and photocopy?
Yes. Ask and Answer About a Story, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.
Is there a lesson plan to teach RL.1.1?
Yes — “Answering with the Key Details” is a 40-minute Grade 1 plan for RL.1.1, timed section by section, with the misconceptions to expect and an exit ticket. Ask and Answer About a Story is the practice that follows it.
More practice for RL.1.1
Ask and answer questions about the important parts of a story.