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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 9 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 the reader when the story happens and hints at what is coming
  • B.Ends the story
  • C.Tells who won the race
2.The middle of a story usually shows what?
  • A.The problem getting bigger and the characters trying to fix it
  • B.The title and the author
  • C.The characters living happily ever after
3.What is the main job of the beginning of a story?
  • A.To list the pages
  • B.To tell how the problem is solved
  • C.To introduce the characters and where they are
4.Which line is most likely to end a fairy tale?
  • A.Once upon a time, there was a giant.
  • B.And from that day on, the giant never came back.
  • C.Long ago, a giant lived on a hill.
5.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.Started a new problem
  • C.Introduced a new character
6.In many tales, something happens three times. What does that do?
  • A.It makes the story true
  • B.It tells you the story is over
  • C.It builds up to the most important time
7.A tale begins "Long ago, in a land far away, there lived a king." What does the opening tell you first?
  • A.Who the story is about and where it happens
  • B.Why the king was sad
  • C.How the story ends
8.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

LessonPrint · RL.2.5 · Set 9 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Once Upon a Time

Set 9. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Tells the reader when the story happens and hints at what is coming
  2. 2.The problem getting bigger and the characters trying to fix it
  3. 3.To introduce the characters and where they are
  4. 4.And from that day on, the giant never came back.
  5. 5.Shown what happened because of the others' choices
  6. 6.It builds up to the most important time
  7. 7.Who the story is about and where it happens
  8. 8.To finish the action and show how things turned out

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