Year 1 English: Once upon a time and happily ever after
Part of the Year 1 English stories and fairy tales chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Once upon a time and happily ever after
Many fairy tales start with the words Once upon a time. They tell us that a story is beginning. Fairy tales often end with the words happily ever after. They tell us that the story ends well, and everyone is happy.
Pip and the Water is a made-up fairy tale. Read it. Find the words that start it, and the words that end it.
Pip and the Water
Once upon a time, there was a little hen called Pip. She lived on a farm with her friends, the ducks.
One hot day, the pond was dry. The ducks had no water to drink.
“I will find some water for you,” said Pip.
She went up the hill. The hill was steep, but Pip did not stop.
At the top, she found a cool pool of clear water. She filled her little pot.
Then Pip ran back down the hill. She tipped the water into the pond.
The ducks drank and drank. “Thank you, Pip!” they said.
From that day on, the ducks and the hen were the best of friends. They played in the sun. They lived happily ever after.
Key ideas
- A fairy tale is a made-up story that often has animals or magic in it.
- Fairy tales often start with Once upon a time.
- Fairy tales often end with happily ever after, which means happy for a long time.
- Once upon a time is at the start. Happily ever after is at the end.
Method. Find the first words of the story. They tell us a fairy tale is starting.
- Read the first sentence. The first words tell us the story is starting.Once upon a time, there was a little hen called Pip.
- Find the words that start the fairy tale. These words are the start of the fairy tale.Once upon a time
- Write the answer. These are the first words.Once upon a time
Check. Read the words aloud, in a big story voice. ✓
Watch out. Once is a tricky word. Learn it by sight, because the letter o does not make its usual sound.
Method. The last words of a fairy tale tell us how it ends.
- Read the last sentence. The last sentence tells us how the story ends.They lived happily ever after.
- Find the words that end the tale. Happily ever after tells us the ending is happy.happily ever after
- Write the answer. The words that end the story are these.happily ever after
Check. Read the ending aloud: They lived happily ever after. ✓
Watch out. Happily ever after is not the start of the story. It comes at the end.
Method. A fairy tale starts with Once upon a time. Check the first words.
- Read the words. Look at the first words of the story.Once upon a time, there was a fox called Kit.
- Check the start. Once upon a time is one of the start words of a fairy tale.Once upon a time
- Write the answer. Yes, it starts like a fairy tale.Yes
Check. It starts with Once upon a time, so it is the start of a fairy tale. ✓
Watch out. Other stories can start in other ways. This one uses the words that a fairy tale uses.
Watch out
Watch out: once is a tricky word. The letter o does not make its usual sound in it, so learn to read it by sight.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Read a fairy tale from a book at home. Ask: “How does the story start? How does it end?” Let your child say Once upon a time and happily ever after with a big, story voice.
Exercise 8C Once upon a time and happily ever after
Method. Look back at the story and find the words that answer the question.
- Find the clue in the story. The answer is in the box, or we can work it out from it.“Once upon a time, there was a little hen called Pip.”
- Think about what the clue tells us. These are the first words of the story.
- Write the answer. Answer with a short sentence or the word from the story.Once upon a time
Check. Also accept: once upon a time. Read your answer back to the story. It fits the clue. ✓
Watch out. The answer is in the story. Do not guess from what you think might happen.
Method. Look back at the story and find the words that answer the question.
- Find the clue in the story. The answer is in the box, or we can work it out from it.“She lived on a farm with her friends”
- Think about what the clue tells us. The story tells us where Pip lives.
- Write the answer. Answer with a short sentence or the word from the story.on a farm
Check. Also accept: a farm; the farm. Read your answer back to the story. It fits the clue. ✓
Watch out. The answer is in the story. Do not guess from what you think might happen.
Method. Look back at the story and find the words that answer the question.
- Find the clue in the story. The answer is in the box, or we can work it out from it.“the pond was dry”
- Think about what the clue tells us. The ducks had no water to drink, so they needed some.
- Write the answer. Answer with a short sentence or the word from the story.The pond was dry.
Check. Also accept: the pond was dry, so there was no water to drink. Read your answer back to the story. It fits the clue. ✓
Watch out. The answer is in the story. Do not guess from what you think might happen.
Method. Look back at the story and find the words that answer the question.
- Find the clue in the story. The answer is in the box, or we can work it out from it.“At the top, she found a cool pool of clear water.”
- Think about what the clue tells us. The top of the hill is where Pip found the water.
- Write the answer. Answer with a short sentence or the word from the story.at the top of the hill
Check. Also accept: on the hill; the top of the hill. Read your answer back to the story. It fits the clue. ✓
Watch out. The answer is in the story. Do not guess from what you think might happen.
Method. Look back at the story and find the words that answer the question.
- Find the clue in the story. The answer is in the box, or we can work it out from it.“They lived happily ever after.”
- Think about what the clue tells us. These words are at the end of a fairy tale.
- Write the answer. Answer with a short sentence or the word from the story.happily ever after
Check. Also accept: They lived happily ever after. Read your answer back to the story. It fits the clue. ✓
Watch out. The answer is in the story. Do not guess from what you think might happen.
Method. A fairy tale starts with Once upon a time. Find which choice is the start.
- Read the first choice. Once upon a time is the way a fairy tale starts.A: Once upon a time
- Read the second choice. The end is the last part of a story, not the start.B: The end.
- Write the answer. Choice A is the start of a fairy tale.A: Once upon a time
Check. Read both choices aloud. Only A is a start. ✓
Watch out. Read both choices, and do not pick the first one just because it is first.
Method. Use the picture to find the answer. The words in the story can help you check it.
- Look at the picture. Find the thing the question asks about.Pip is at the top of the green hill.
- Check the words in the story. Pip went up the hill to find water for the ducks.
- Write the answer. Use the picture and the story together.the hill
Check. Also accept: a hill; the top of the hill. Point at the picture as you say the answer. ✓
Watch out. Look at the whole picture first. Then find the thing the question asks about.
Method. Put the events in the order they happen, from the start of the story to the end.
- Find the first thing that happens. Read the story from the start.She went up the hill
- Find the next thing. Each part comes after the one before it.At the top, she found a cool pool
- Find the last thing. It happens after the others.The ducks drank and drank
- Write the events in order. These are the events in the order they happen in the story.She went up the hill / At the top, she found a cool pool / The ducks drank and drank
Check. Read the events in your order. Does the story go the same way? ✓
Watch out. Look for the words that show time: first, next, then, after that, and at the end.
Method. Look back at the story and find the words that answer the question.
- Find the clue in the story. The answer is in the box, or we can work it out from it.“The hill was steep, but Pip did not stop.”
- Think about what the clue tells us. Being brave means you keep going even when something is hard.
- Write the answer. Answer with a short sentence or the word from the story.Yes. She climbed a steep hill and did not stop.
Check. Also accept: yes, she was brave; she kept going up the steep hill; she did not give up. Read your answer back to the story. It fits the clue. ✓
Watch out. The answer is in the story. Do not guess from what you think might happen.
Method. A fairy tale starts with Once upon a time. Make your own start.
- Think of a character. A fairy tale has a character, such as an animal or a child.a little mouse
- Start with the magic words. Begin with Once upon a time, so the reader knows a story is starting.Once upon a time
- Write the sentence. Add the character and where they lived.Once upon a time, a little mouse lived in a box.
Check. Read it aloud. It starts with Once upon a time and tells who the story is about. ✓
Watch out. Start with a capital letter and end with a full stop. Once upon a time is the start.