Does the rule work for email too?

Yes, unchanged: Dear Ms. Lee, at the top and Sincerely, before the name at the bottom. Formal letters swap the greeting comma for a colon in business style, but that's a middle school refinement; the friendly letter comma is the one to master now.

What about longer closings like "See you soon"?

The comma waits for the whole phrase to finish: See you soon, Ben. Splitting the phrase (See you, soon Ben) is the tempting error. Saying the whole closing in one breath helps students hear the phrase as one unit.

3rd grade commas in letters

3rd grade commas in letters worksheets

Third graders punctuate greetings and closings automatically in thank-you notes, pen pal letters, and emails. Longer closings (With love, Yours truly, See you soon) follow the same rule: the comma waits until the whole sign-off phrase is done.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core L.2.2.b.

Each print is a different sheet with its own answer key. You don't need to sign up.

The kind of sentences you'll fix

Add the missing comma to each greeting or closing.

Dear Mrs. Vega
Fixed: Dear Mrs. Vega,
Dear Papa Joe
With love Grandpa

Every print pulls a new set of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different mix.

What's on a 3rd grade sheet

3rd grade sheets draw from 58 sentences, 8 to a page. 2nd and 3rd grade print from the same 58 sentences. The teaching notes below are written for this grade. 2nd grade sheets print 7 to a page.

A few of the sentences, as the answer key corrects them:

Dear Principal Cruz,
Dear Mr. Cole,
Dear Aunt Bea,

Fix it. Add the missing comma to each greeting or closing. 8 sentences to fix per page.
Choose the sentence. Circle the letter of the version with the comma in the right place. 7 questions per page.

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

How to teach this

Extend to email, where the same commas live on. When a closing runs several words (See you soon,), the comma holds off until the phrase ends. A comma that breaks the phrase early (See you, soon) is the slip to catch, and reading it aloud exposes the awkward pause right away.

Watch for: The greeting comma follows the name, never the word Dear: Dear Grandma, not Dear, Grandma. In a real letter the greeting gets a line of its own, and the letter itself starts on the next line with a capital letter. The closing comma sits between the sign-off and the name: Your friend, Sam.

Common questions about 3rd grade commas in letters

Does the rule work for email too?: Yes, unchanged: Dear Ms. Lee, at the top and Sincerely, before the name at the bottom. Formal letters swap the greeting comma for a colon in business style, but that's a middle school refinement; the friendly letter comma is the one to master now.
What about longer closings like "See you soon"?: The comma waits for the whole phrase to finish: See you soon, Ben. Splitting the phrase (See you, soon Ben) is the tempting error. Saying the whole closing in one breath helps students hear the phrase as one unit.

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Aligned to Common Core L.2.2.b. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated October 2026.

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