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 15 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., Deep in the forest lived a bear who could not sleep., Once upon a time, there lived a poor miller., From that day on, the fox never tricked anyone again., Once there was a boy who had never seen the sea., The bear curled up and slept all winter long. The end.

Begins a taleEnds a tale

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

Sort: Many years ago, a king had three daughters., Long ago, in a land far away, there was a tiny village., There was once a farmer who grew the biggest turnip ever., And the farmer and his family ate turnip soup for a year., From then on, the village was a happy place., And so the animals learned to share, and the story ends.

Begins a taleEnds a tale

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

Sort: Long, long ago, the animals could all talk., And they lived happily ever after., And that is why the goat always looks before he leaps., In a cottage by the woods lived an old woman and her cat., There was once a fox who was always hungry., At last the boy was home, and he slept soundly.

Begins a taleEnds a tale

LessonPrint · RL.2.5 · Set 15 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Beginnings and Endings

Set 15. Prints on its own sheet.

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

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