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 17 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: There was once a fox who was always hungry., In a cottage by the woods lived an old woman and her cat., Long ago, in a land far away, there was a tiny village., At last the boy was home, and he slept soundly., The old woman and her cat never went hungry again., And they lived happily ever after.

Begins a taleEnds a tale

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

Sort: Once there was a boy who had never seen the sea., Once upon a time, there lived a poor miller., And that is why the goat always looks before he leaps., Long, long ago, the animals could all talk., So the king and his daughters were happy at last., From that day on, the fox never tricked anyone again.

Begins a taleEnds a tale

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

Sort: And so the animals learned to share, and the story ends., There was once a farmer who grew the biggest turnip ever., One cold morning, a little goat set out over the hill., The bear curled up and slept all winter long. The end., And the farmer and his family ate turnip soup for a year., Deep in the forest lived a bear who could not sleep.

Begins a taleEnds a tale

LessonPrint · RL.2.5 · Set 17 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Beginnings and Endings

Set 17. Prints on its own sheet.

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

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