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 2 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: One cold morning, a little goat set out over the hill., There was once a farmer who grew the biggest turnip ever., At last the boy was home, and he slept soundly., In a cottage by the woods lived an old woman and her cat., The bear curled up and slept all winter long. The end., And so the animals learned to share, and the story ends.

Begins a taleEnds a tale

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

Sort: From then on, the village was a happy place., From that day on, the fox never tricked anyone again., Long ago, in a land far away, there was a tiny village., The old woman and her cat never went hungry again., There was once a fox who was always hungry., Many years ago, a king had three daughters.

Begins a taleEnds a tale

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

Sort: And they lived happily ever after., Long, long ago, the animals could all talk., Once there was a boy who had never seen the sea., And that is why the goat always looks before he leaps., Deep in the forest lived a bear who could not sleep., So the king and his daughters were happy at last.

Begins a taleEnds a tale

LessonPrint · RL.2.5 · Set 2 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Beginnings and Endings

Set 2. Prints on its own sheet.

1.1. And so the animals learned to share, and the story ends. — 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. 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
2.1. From that day on, the fox never tricked anyone again. — Ends a tale 2. From then on, the village was a happy place. — Ends a tale 3. Long ago, in a land far away, there was a tiny village. — Begins a tale 4. Many years ago, a king had three daughters. — 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
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. Deep in the forest lived a bear who could not sleep. — Begins a tale 4. Long, long ago, the animals could all talk. — Begins a tale 5. Once there was a boy who had never seen the sea. — Begins a tale 6. So the king and his daughters were happy at last. — Ends a tale

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