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Two Tales, One Pattern is a free printable Grade 3 English worksheet on comparing themes, settings and plots of related stories, aligned to Common Core standard RL.3.9. It prints 2 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two pupils in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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All 25 sets ask different questions.

Two Tales, One Pattern

RL.3.9

NameDate

Read Text 1 and answer the question under it.

1.Read Text 1 and answer the question under it.

Text 1: The Night the Lamp Went Out

Grace's father kept the lighthouse. On the worst night of the winter, the lamp went out. He was ill in bed. Grace was eleven. She carried the oil up ninety-seven steps in the dark, twice, because the can was too heavy to lift full. Her arms shook so much on the second trip that she had to sit down halfway. She trimmed the wick the way she had watched a hundred times. She struck the match on the fourth try. By the time the light swung out across the water, three ships had already turned back. Grace never knew whether she had been in time. She decided not to think about it.

  1. 1. How many steps did Grace climb?
2.Now read Text 2 and answer these questions about BOTH texts.

Text 2: The Wrong Bus

Halim was two stops past the school before he looked up. The bus was going the other way. He had got on at the same shelter, in the same rain, and never checked the number. His stomach dropped. He thought about crying and decided against it, because it would not help. He read the route map above the window. He worked out that the 41 came back the same way. He rang the bell, got off, crossed at the lights, and waited eleven minutes for the 41. He was twenty minutes late. Mrs Achebe asked what happened. "I got the wrong bus," said Halim, "and then I got the right one."

  1. 1. How is Grace's problem different from Halim's?
  2. 2. How is Halim like Grace in "The Night the Lamp Went Out"?
  3. 3. How is Halim's problem different from Grace's?

LessonPrint · RL.3.9 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Two Tales, One Pattern

Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. Ninety-seven.
  2. 2.1. Grace's is a job she chooses to finish; Halim's is a mistake he has to get out of. 2. Both work out what to do alone, without an adult stepping in. 3. Halim caused his own problem by not checking; Grace's was caused by her father's illness.

Questions about Two Tales, One Pattern

What does the Two Tales, One Pattern worksheet cover?

It practises comparing themes, settings and plots of related stories — 2 questions for Grade 3, all on Common Core RL.3.9: Compare two books from a series on theme, setting and plot. The instruction to pupils is “Read Text 1 and answer the question under it”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.

Which Common Core standard does Two Tales, One Pattern practise?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.9 — RL.3.9, in the Reading: Literature domain for Grade 3. The published standard reads: “Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters (e.g., in books from a series).” The worksheet assesses that standard rather than a paraphrase of it.

What age or grade is this worksheet for?

Two Tales, One Pattern is written for Grade 3, typically ages 8-9. It is one of the sheets on RL.3.9, so it suits any pupil working at that standard — including older pupils revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.

Does Two Tales, One Pattern come with an answer key?

Yes. All 2 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.

How many different versions of Two Tales, One Pattern can I print?

25 — one per pupil, and all 25 ask different questions. Set 1 downloads the whole class as a single PDF. Every version is fixed to its own address, so a sheet printed today holds the same problems when you reopen it next week.

Is Two Tales, One Pattern free to print and photocopy?

Yes. Two Tales, One Pattern, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.

Is there a lesson plan to teach RL.3.9?

Yes — “Comparing Stories by One Author” is a 40-minute Grade 3 plan for RL.3.9, timed section by section, with the misconceptions to expect and an exit ticket. Two Tales, One Pattern is the practice that follows it.

More practice for RL.3.9

Compare two books from a series on theme, setting and plot.

Teaching this next? Comparing Stories by One Author is the 40-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.

All Grade 3 worksheets

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to RL.3.9 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.