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 8 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., And they lived happily ever after., Once upon a time, there lived a poor miller., From then on, the village was a happy place., Long ago, in a land far away, there was a tiny village., So the king and his daughters were happy at last.

Begins a taleEnds a tale

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

Sort: There was once a farmer who grew the biggest turnip ever., One cold morning, a little goat set out over the hill., Many years ago, a king had three daughters., And so the animals learned to share, and the story ends., From that day on, the fox never tricked anyone again., 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: Deep in the forest lived a bear who could not sleep., Long, long ago, the animals could all talk., Once there was a boy who had never seen the sea., At last the boy was home, and he slept soundly., And that is why the goat always looks before he leaps., And the farmer and his family ate turnip soup for a year.

Begins a taleEnds a tale

LessonPrint · RL.2.5 · Set 8 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Beginnings and Endings

Set 8. Prints on its own sheet.

1.1. And they lived happily ever after. — Ends a tale 2. From then on, the village was a happy place. — Ends a tale 3. Long ago, in a land far away, there was a tiny village. — 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. There was once a fox who was always hungry. — Begins a tale
2.1. And so the animals learned to share, and the story ends. — Ends a tale 2. From that day on, the fox never tricked anyone again. — Ends a tale 3. Many years ago, a king had three daughters. — Begins a tale 4. One cold morning, a little goat set out over the hill. — Begins 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 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. At last the boy was home, and he slept soundly. — Ends a tale 4. Deep in the forest lived a bear who could not sleep. — Begins a tale 5. Long, long ago, the animals could all talk. — Begins a tale 6. Once there was a boy who had never seen the sea. — Begins a tale

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