3rd Grade Commas in a Series Worksheets
Third graders handle series inside richer sentences, where list items are phrases rather than single words: spring melts snow, wakes bears, and fills rivers. Reading each option aloud and hearing where the pauses fall becomes the reliable check.
Free printable PDF. One skill per page, answer key on page two.
Every sheet is one of a kind and prints with a version code, so you can reprint the exact same one later. New version every click.
The kind of sentences you'll fix
Add the missing commas to each sentence.
-
Beavers gnaw haul and stack branches.
Fixed: Beavers gnaw, haul, and stack branches.
- Wolves travel hunt and howl together.
- Swimmers practice starts turns and finishes.
Every print draws a fresh mix of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different sheet.
What's on each sheet
- Fix it. Add the missing commas to each sentence. 8 sentences to fix per page.
- Choose the sentence. Circle the letter of the sentence with the commas in the right places. 7 questions per page.
Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.
How to teach this
These sheets use the serial comma (the one right before and) because it's the style schools teach. If your child asks why a book at home skips it, that's a real style difference, not an error; writers just have to pick one style and stay consistent.
Watch for: Two things joined by and need no comma at all: ham and eggs. The comma comes before and, never after it: mittens, and boots (not mittens and, boots).
Common questions about commas in a series
- Is the comma before "and" required?
- In school writing, yes; it's called the serial comma, and every correct answer on these sheets includes it. Some newspapers drop it, which is a style choice students may notice in the wild. We teach the version that prevents misreadings.
- How does this skill show up in real writing?
- Everywhere lists live: science observations, book reports, thank you notes. A student who punctuates a series cleanly writes sentences readers glide through. It's also among the most commonly tested conventions on state writing assessments.
Related worksheets
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Reviewed by the One More Sheet curriculum team. Content version 68, updated July 2026.