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 25 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: Once there was a boy who had never seen the sea., Once upon a time, there lived a poor miller., And the farmer and his family ate turnip soup for a year., Long ago, in a land far away, there was a tiny village., And they lived happily ever after., And that is why the goat always looks before he leaps.

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., There was once a farmer who grew the biggest turnip ever., At last the boy was home, and he slept soundly., So the king and his daughters were happy at last., In a cottage by the woods lived an old woman and her cat., The old woman and her cat never went hungry again.

Begins a taleEnds a tale

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

Sort: From that day on, the fox never tricked anyone again., Deep in the forest lived a bear who could not sleep., One cold morning, a little goat set out over the hill., Long, long ago, the animals could all talk., And so the animals learned to share, and the story ends., From then on, the village was a happy place.

Begins a taleEnds a tale

LessonPrint · RL.2.5 · Set 25 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Beginnings and Endings

Set 25. Prints on its own sheet.

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

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