5th grade punctuation worksheets

A real sample sheet.

Seven punctuation skills at 5th grade, one sheet each, free with its answer key: commas after introductory phrases, commas for direct address, commas in compound sentences, and more.

Most sheets change with every click. Any other skill prints from its row below. Examples and teaching notes

  • Commas after introductory phrases When a sentence starts with a warm-up phrase, a comma marks where the real sentence begins: After the storm, we raked the yard.
  • Commas for direct address When a sentence speaks TO someone, their name gets set off with commas: Maya, please close the window. Yes and no take commas too, and tag questions hang on one: didn't you?
  • Commas in compound sentences When two complete sentences join with and, but, or, so, or yet, a comma goes before the joining word: It rained, so we read inside.
  • Contractions or possessives? It's, you're, they're, and who's are contractions: two words in a trench coat. Its, your, their, and whose show belonging. Expand the contraction and see if the sentence still makes sense.
  • Punctuating titles of short works Short works wear quotation marks: poems, songs, stories, and articles. 'The Raven' is a poem; a whole book would be underlined or set in italics instead.
  • Quotation marks in dialogue Quotation marks hug the exact words someone says, and the comma stays inside the hug: "Let's go," said Maya.
  • Singular vs. plural possessives One owner: apostrophe before the s (the dog's bowl). Many owners: apostrophe after the s (the dogs' bowls). Irregular plurals act like singles: the children's books.

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