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Which Detail Set Up the Ending? is a free printable Grade 4 English worksheet on finding the earlier detail a story's ending depends on, aligned to Common Core standard RL.4.1. 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 7 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.

Which Detail Set Up the Ending?

RL.4.1

NameDate

Read each story, then circle the right answer.

1.Read: "Leo's grandmother taught him to whistle loudly with two fingers. They lived near the river. Leo's favorite color was green. When Leo got lost at the fair, he whistled, and his grandmother found him in minutes." Which earlier detail set up the ending?
  • A.Leo's favorite color was green.
  • B.They lived near the river.
  • C.Leo's grandmother taught him to whistle loudly with two fingers.
2.Read: "Mr. Grant planted an acorn on the day his granddaughter was born. He wore a straw hat in summer. His house had a red door. Forty years later, his granddaughter read books in the shade of the huge oak in his yard." Which earlier detail set up the ending?
  • A.His house had a red door.
  • B.He wore a straw hat in summer.
  • C.Mr. Grant planted an acorn on the day his granddaughter was born.
3.Read: "Marcus sat by the window in Room 9. He kept a flashlight in his desk. He liked math best. That afternoon the power went out, and Marcus lit the way to the door." Which earlier detail set up the ending?
  • A.He liked math best.
  • B.Marcus sat by the window in Room 9.
  • C.He kept a flashlight in his desk.
4.Read: "Tess practiced free throws every evening until dark. Her team wore red. She had two younger brothers. In the final game, Tess made the winning shot from the free-throw line." Which earlier detail set up the ending?
  • A.She had two younger brothers.
  • B.Her team wore red.
  • C.Tess practiced free throws every evening until dark.
5.Read: "Pia always counted the steps from her house to the corner: forty-two. Her backpack was purple. She liked rainy days. When fog hid the whole street one morning, Pia counted forty-two steps and found the corner." Which earlier detail set up the ending?
  • A.Her backpack was purple.
  • B.She liked rainy days.
  • C.Pia always counted the steps from her house to the corner: forty-two.
6.Read: "The lighthouse keeper wrote down the name of every ship that passed. Her cat slept on the stairs. She drank her tea without sugar. Years later, her notebooks helped a museum name a lost ship." Which earlier detail set up the ending?
  • A.Her cat slept on the stairs.
  • B.She drank her tea without sugar.
  • C.The lighthouse keeper wrote down the name of every ship that passed.
7.Read: "The new boy, Sami, carried a sketchbook everywhere. He sat at the back of the bus. He had moved from Ohio in June. When the class needed someone to paint the mural, everyone turned to Sami." Which earlier detail set up the ending?
  • A.He sat at the back of the bus.
  • B.The new boy, Sami, carried a sketchbook everywhere.
  • C.He had moved from Ohio in June.
8.Read: "The farmer saw the ants carrying their eggs up the hill. The barn needed new paint. Her son was learning to drive. That night the creek flooded the low field, but the ants were safe." Which earlier detail set up the ending?
  • A.The barn needed new paint.
  • B.Her son was learning to drive.
  • C.The farmer saw the ants carrying their eggs up the hill.

LessonPrint · RL.4.1 · Set 7 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Which Detail Set Up the Ending?

Set 7. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Leo's grandmother taught him to whistle loudly with two fingers.
  2. 2.Mr. Grant planted an acorn on the day his granddaughter was born.
  3. 3.He kept a flashlight in his desk.
  4. 4.Tess practiced free throws every evening until dark.
  5. 5.Pia always counted the steps from her house to the corner: forty-two.
  6. 6.The lighthouse keeper wrote down the name of every ship that passed.
  7. 7.The new boy, Sami, carried a sketchbook everywhere.
  8. 8.The farmer saw the ants carrying their eggs up the hill.

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to RL.4.1 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.