Beginnings and Endings is a free printable Grade 2 English worksheet on sorting lines into those that open a tale and those that close it, aligned to Common Core standard RL.2.5. It prints 3 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 10 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

One paper per student

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Beginnings and Endings

RL.2.5

NameDate

Sort each line into the right column.

1.Sort each one: Begins a tale or Ends a tale?

Sort: So the king and his daughters were happy at last., From that day on, the fox never tricked anyone again., In a cottage by the woods lived an old woman and her cat., There was once a farmer who grew the biggest turnip ever., And the farmer and his family ate turnip soup for a year., Once there was a boy who had never seen the sea.

Begins a taleEnds a tale

2.Sort each one: Begins a tale or Ends a tale?

Sort: The bear curled up and slept all winter long. The end., Many years ago, a king had three daughters., There was once a fox who was always hungry., Deep in the forest lived a bear who could not sleep., And so the animals learned to share, and the story ends., And that is why the goat always looks before he leaps.

Begins a taleEnds a tale

3.Sort each one: Begins a tale or Ends a tale?

Sort: And they lived happily ever after., From then on, the village was a happy place., One cold morning, a little goat set out over the hill., Once upon a time, there lived a poor miller., Long, long ago, the animals could all talk., The old woman and her cat never went hungry again.

Begins a taleEnds a tale

LessonPrint · RL.2.5 · Set 10 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Beginnings and Endings

Set 10. Prints on its own sheet.

1.1. And the farmer and his family ate turnip soup for a year. — Ends a tale 2. From that day on, the fox never tricked anyone again. — Ends a tale 3. In a cottage by the woods lived an old woman and her cat. — Begins a tale 4. Once there was a boy who had never seen the sea. — Begins a tale 5. So the king and his daughters were happy at last. — Ends a tale 6. There was once a farmer who grew the biggest turnip ever. — Begins a tale
2.1. And so the animals learned to share, and the story ends. — Ends a tale 2. And that is why the goat always looks before he leaps. — Ends a tale 3. Deep in the forest lived a bear who could not sleep. — Begins a tale 4. Many years ago, a king had three daughters. — Begins a tale 5. The bear curled up and slept all winter long. The end. — Ends a tale 6. There was once a fox who was always hungry. — Begins a tale
3.1. And they lived happily ever after. — Ends a tale 2. From then on, the village was a happy place. — Ends a tale 3. Long, long ago, the animals could all talk. — Begins a tale 4. Once upon a time, there lived a poor miller. — Begins a tale 5. One cold morning, a little goat set out over the hill. — Begins a tale 6. The old woman and her cat never went hungry again. — Ends a tale

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to RL.2.5 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.