1st Grade Punctuation

• 1st grade
• Common Core L.1.2
• 4 lessons

1st grade punctuation covers what every sentence needs: a capital letter at the start, an end mark at the finish, capitals for names and dates, and commas in dates and lists. Every lesson below takes about 10 minutes and has a quiz and a free worksheet.

1st grade punctuation lessons, in order

Most schools teach these in roughly this order. Each builds on the one before, so start at the top if you're not sure where your child is.

1. 1. Capital LettersCapitalizing the first word of a sentence, the pronoun I, names and dates. L.K.2a, L.1.2a
2. 2. End MarksChoosing and using end punctuation for sentences. L.K.2b, L.1.2b
3. 3. Commas in DatesUsing commas in dates. L.1.2c
4. 4. Commas in a ListUsing commas to separate single words in a series. L.1.2c

What the standards say

These are the Common Core 1st grade punctuation standards the lessons on this page cover. Most US states use the same or very similar goals.

• L.1.2a: Capitalize dates and names of people.
• L.1.2b: Use end punctuation for sentences.
• L.1.2c: Use commas in dates and to separate single words in a series.

Mixed review quiz

Ten questions drawn from the 1st grade lessons: capital letters, end marks, commas in dates, commas in a list. Tap the speaker to hear a question read aloud. Use it as a quick check before a test or at the end of a unit; any question your child misses points to the lesson to revisit.

1. 1.Tap the word that needs a capital letter.

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   We went to the zoo on saturday.

   Show answer

   Saturday.

2. 2.Which end mark? My bike is blue__

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   . ? !
   Show answer

   . It tells something.

3. 3.Which date needs a comma?

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   June 1 2027 June 1
   Show answer

   June 1, 2027.

4. 4.Which is correct?

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   I have a cat, a dog and a fish. I have a cat a dog and a fish.
   Show answer

   I have a cat, a dog and a fish.

5. 5.Tap the two words that need capitals.

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   We visited grandpa in texas.

   Show answer

   Grandpa and Texas.

6. 6.Which end mark? Please close the door__

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   . ?
   Show answer

   . Commands end with a period.

7. 7.Which is correct?

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   Friday, March 5, 2027 Friday March 5 2027
   Show answer

   Friday, March 5, 2027.

8. 8.Where does the comma go? We can swim run or play.

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   after swim after run after or
   Show answer

   We can swim, run or play.

9. 9.Which sentence is correct?

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   The Dog barked. The dog barked.
   Show answer

   The dog barked.

10. 10.Which is written correctly?

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    We had fun. Then we went home. We had fun then we went home
    Show answer

    We had fun. Then we went home.

1st grade punctuation worksheets

• Capital LettersFind missing capitals, sort words that need one, fix sentences and write about your favorite day.
• End MarksAdd the right end mark, fix sentences with the wrong mark, split a run-on and write one sentence of each kind.
• Commas in DatesAdd commas to dates, fix date mistakes, write dates with the day of the week and record your family's birthdays.
• Commas in a ListAdd commas to lists, decide when a comma isn't needed, fix comma mistakes and write lists of your favorite things.

Practicing punctuation at home

Read the writing aloud.

Where your child stops, a period probably belongs. Where they pause, maybe a comma.

Hunt in real books.

Find a comma in a list, a question mark or quotation marks, and ask why it's there.

Write real things.

Thank-you notes, lists and comic strips practice letters, commas and quotation marks with a real reader.

One mark a week.

Focus on one rule this week. Fixing everything at once turns writing into a page of corrections.

More 1st grade practice

See every reading and writing skill for the year on the 1st grade page, or the 1st grade grammar lessons. Other grades: 2nd grade punctuation. All lessons: punctuation.

Last reviewed: November 11, 2026

Questions parents ask