Grade 3 Reading PDF: The Old Woman and the Pumpkin

Grade 3 English Grammar Worksheet on The Old Woman and the Pumpkin Reading Passage
Reading stories can be exciting when they include clever ideas, interesting characters, and important lessons. The Old Woman and the Pumpkin is a fun and meaningful Grade 3 reading passage that helps students improve reading comprehension skills through a simple story from everyday life. In this English grammar worksheet, students read about an old woman who uses a smart idea to travel safely through a forest. The worksheet includes multiple-choice questions, short-answer questions, vocabulary practice, and thinking-based comprehension activities.
This Grade 3 English grammar worksheet helps students understand story details, identify the lesson of the story, and improve their reading and thinking skills. The exercises are arranged in a simple format so that young learners can answer confidently and practice carefully. By solving the questions in order, students learn how to read closely and respond correctly based on the passage.
Download these English grammar worksheets and practice regularly to strengthen your language skills and build a strong foundation. You can also book a free trial to get expert guidance and improve your reading, writing, and comprehension abilities. The worksheets are designed in a simple and structured way to help K–8 students learn grammar concepts easily and use them confidently in everyday communication.

What Is the Topic?
This Grade 3 English grammar worksheet is based on a reading comprehension passage called The Old Woman and the Pumpkin. The story talks about an old woman who wants to visit her daughter in another village. She must pass through a forest where a bear sometimes comes near the path. To stay safe, she makes a clever plan using a pumpkin.
Students learn how to:
• Read and understand a short story carefully
• Identify important details from the passage
• Answer objective and subjective questions
• Understand the lesson or message of the story
• Learn the meaning of words from context
The worksheet also helps students improve their thinking skills by asking questions connected to the events in the story.
What’s in This Worksheet?
1. A short and simple reading passage about an old woman and a pumpkin.
2. Multiple-choice questions to check understanding of the story.
3. Short-answer questions based directly on the passage.
4. Thinking and connection-based questions to improve comprehension skills.
5. Vocabulary practice where students identify a word with a similar meaning.
6. Questions arranged in a clear and easy order for Grade 3 students.
7. Reading comprehension activities that support school exams and classroom learning.
Definitions, Examples, Techniques, and Tips
Definition:
Reading comprehension means understanding what we read and answering questions correctly from the passage.
Example from the worksheet:
The old woman used a pumpkin to travel safely through the forest.
Important lesson from the story:
“A calm plan can keep us safe.”
Technique:
Students should read the passage slowly and carefully before answering questions.
Quick learning tips:
• Underline important details while reading.
• Look for clues in the story before answering.
• Read every question carefully.
• Answer in the same order as the questions are given.
• Check the passage again if confused.
Why Is It Important to Learn This?
Reading comprehension is important because it helps students understand stories, lessons, and questions correctly. This Grade 3 English grammar worksheet teaches students how to find answers from a passage and think carefully about the events in the story.
Learning reading comprehension also helps students:
• Improve reading confidence
• Understand story messages
• Build vocabulary skills
• Answer school exam questions correctly
• Become better at speaking and writing
The story in this worksheet also teaches an important life lesson about staying calm and thinking wisely during difficult situations.
Where Will This Knowledge Help You?
Students can use reading comprehension skills in many areas of learning and daily life.
• School exams and class tests
• Reading storybooks and lessons
• Writing correct answers in notebooks
• Understanding instructions carefully
• Classroom discussions and participation
• Building confidence in English reading
This Grade 3 English grammar worksheet also helps students become better listeners and careful readers.
How to Use This Worksheet?
1. Read the full passage carefully before answering any questions.
2. Understand the story characters, events, and lesson.
3. Attempt all the questions independently first.
4. Follow the exact question order while answering.
5. Compare your answers carefully with the complete answer key.
6. Correct mistakes after checking the solutions.
7. Practice similar reading comprehension passages regularly.
8. Remember that the solutions follow the exact worksheet order for easy learning.
Important Tips and Tricks
1. Read every line of the passage carefully before answering.
2. Do not rush while solving multiple-choice questions.
3. Look for clue words in the passage to find correct answers.
4. Write answers in complete sentences wherever needed.
5. Learn the message of the story properly because examiners often ask moral-based questions.
6. Vocabulary questions become easier when students understand the story fully.
7. Always answer according to the serial number order given in the worksheet.
8. Recheck all answers before completing the worksheet.
Complete Answer Key
Exercise No. 1
Choose the most appropriate option in relevance to this passage.
1. Why did the old woman use a pumpkin?
☑ b) To hide from the bear
2. What did the bear do when he saw the pumpkin?
☑ c) He sniffed it and thought it was a fruit
3. What is the main message of the story?
☑ a) A calm plan can keep us safe
Exercise No. 2
Answer the following questions from the passage/story.
1. Where was the old woman going?
She was going to visit her daughter in the next village.
2. How did she travel safely through the forest?
She crawled inside a pumpkin and rolled down the path.
3. Find a sentence from the story that shows the lesson or message.
“A calm plan can keep us safe.”
Exercise No. 3
Read the questions carefully and answer the following by making connections with the text.
1. Why did the bear not attack the pumpkin?
The bear did not attack because he sniffed the pumpkin and thought it was a fruit.
2. How did rolling inside the pumpkin help the old woman stay safe?
Rolling inside the pumpkin hid her and kept her calm, so the bear did not notice her.
3. What could happen if the woman had shouted on the path?
If she had shouted, the bear might have seen her and become afraid or angry.
4. Find a word from the passage that means “heroic.”
brave
Passage
The Old Woman and the Pumpkin
An old woman wanted to visit her daughter in the next village. To go there, she had to walk through a small forest where a bear sometimes came near the path. She was brave and careful. She took a big pumpkin from her garden and cut a hole just large enough to crawl into. She climbed inside and closed the hole with leaves so she could breathe but not be seen. Then she rolled the pumpkin down the path like a small cart. When the bear saw the rolling pumpkin, he came close and sniffed it. He thought it was a fruit and not a person, so he did not attack. The pumpkin rolled past the bear and reached the next village. The old woman came out and laughed, and she hugged her daughter. She said, “A calm plan can keep us safe.” From then on, people in the villages smiled when they saw pumpkins rolling on the road.
Practicing this Grade 3 English grammar worksheet on The Old Woman and the Pumpkin can help students become stronger readers and better thinkers. The story is simple, interesting, and filled with an important lesson about staying calm and using smart ideas. By solving all the exercises carefully and in the correct order, students can improve their reading comprehension skills and build confidence in English learning.