6th grade punctuating titles of short works worksheets

Sixth graders handle titles automatically, including titles with their own commas, and know the long-work rule (italics or underlining) that pairs with this one.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core L.5.2.d.

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The kind of sentences you'll fix

Fix each sentence.

  1. The essay What the Tide Left won the state prize.

    Fixed: The essay “What the Tide Left” won the state prize.

  2. Our campfire song was Down by the Bay.
  3. The class analyzed the poem Fog by Carl Sandburg.

Every print pulls a fresh set of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling never gets the same sheet.

What's on each sheet

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

How to teach this

Extend to the bookshelf: book titles get underlining in handwriting, italics in print, while the chapter inside takes quotes. One book in hand demonstrates the whole system.

Watch for: The size of the work picks the dress: short works (poems, songs, stories, articles, chapters) take quotes; long works (books, movies) take italics in print or underlining by hand. The marks wrap the exact title, nothing more: capital letters inside the title help you see where it ends.

Common questions about punctuating titles of short works

What is the trickiest part?
The edges: quotes must wrap the exact title, no extra words. Titles containing commas (like 'Knoxville, Tennessee') keep them inside the marks.
Where does punctuation go with closing quotes?
Periods and commas tuck inside the closing mark in American usage: we sang "Taps." These sheets model that placement throughout.

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Aligned to Common Core L.5.2.d. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 179, updated August 2026.

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