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 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
1.A story ends "...and they lived happily ever after." What does that tell you?
A.The story is over and the problem is solved
B.The story is just beginning
C.Something bad will happen next
2.A story starts "Once upon a time...". What does that tell you?
A.It is a true news report
B.It is a made-up tale set long ago
C.It is a list of facts
3.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.How the story ends
C.Why the king was sad
4.Why do so many old tales start with the same words?
A.Readers know at once what kind of story it will be
B.Because the words rhyme
C.Because the writer forgot how to start
5.Which is a traditional way to end a tale?
A.Once upon a time.
B.The end.
C.Long ago and far away.
6.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.
7.In a tale, a wolf says "I'll huff and I'll puff!" again and again. Why repeat it?
A.To show the story has ended
B.Because the wolf forgot his words
C.So the reader can join in and expect what comes next
8.What is the main job of the beginning of a story?
A.To list the pages
B.To introduce the characters and where they are
C.To tell how the problem is solved
LessonPrint · RL.2.5 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Once Upon a Time
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.The story is over and the problem is solved
2.It is a made-up tale set long ago
3.Who the story is about and where it happens
4.Readers know at once what kind of story it will be
5.The end.
6.And from that day on, the giant never came back.
7.So the reader can join in and expect what comes next
8.To introduce the characters and where they are
Questions about Once Upon a Time
What does the Once Upon a Time worksheet cover?
It practices what a story's beginning and ending do for the reader — 8 questions for Grade 2, all on Common Core RL.2.5: Describe how a story opens and how it closes. The instruction to students is “Circle the right answer”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which Common Core standard does Once Upon a Time practice?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.5 — RL.2.5, under Reading: Literature for Grade 2. The published standard reads: “Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.” The worksheet assesses that standard rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
Once Upon a Time is written for Grade 2, typically ages 7-8. It is one of the sheets on RL.2.5, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does Once Upon a Time come with an answer key?
Yes. All 8 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 Once Upon a Time can I print?
25 — one per student, 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 Once Upon a Time free to print and photocopy?
Yes. Once Upon a Time, 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.