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Once Upon a Time is a free printable Grade 2 English worksheet on what a story's beginning and ending do for the reader, aligned to Common Core standard RL.2.5. It prints 8 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 23 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Once Upon a Time

RL.2.5

NameDate

Circle the right answer.

1.A story opens "It was the night before the big race." What does this beginning do?
  • A.Tells who won the race
  • B.Tells the reader when the story happens and hints at what is coming
  • C.Ends the story
2.What is the main job of the ending of a story?
  • A.To finish the action and show how things turned out
  • B.To meet the characters for the first time
  • C.To give the title
3.What is the main job of the beginning of a story?
  • A.To tell how the problem is solved
  • B.To list the pages
  • C.To introduce the characters and where they are
4.In many tales, something happens three times. What does that do?
  • A.It tells you the story is over
  • B.It builds up to the most important time
  • C.It makes the story true
5.Why do so many old tales start with the same words?
  • A.Because the words rhyme
  • B.Readers know at once what kind of story it will be
  • C.Because the writer forgot how to start
6.A story ends "...and so the little red hen ate the bread all by herself." What has the ending done?
  • A.Shown what happened because of the others' choices
  • B.Introduced a new character
  • C.Started a new problem
7.A story starts "Once upon a time...". What does that tell you?
  • A.It is a list of facts
  • B.It is a true news report
  • C.It is a made-up tale set long ago
8.Which line is most likely to begin a fairy tale?
  • A.And that was the end of the wolf.
  • B.There was once a poor girl who lived by a dark wood.
  • C.From then on, everyone was happy.

LessonPrint · RL.2.5 · Set 23 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Once Upon a Time

Set 23. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Tells the reader when the story happens and hints at what is coming
  2. 2.To finish the action and show how things turned out
  3. 3.To introduce the characters and where they are
  4. 4.It builds up to the most important time
  5. 5.Readers know at once what kind of story it will be
  6. 6.Shown what happened because of the others' choices
  7. 7.It is a made-up tale set long ago
  8. 8.There was once a poor girl who lived by a dark wood.

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