Virginia SOL 2.LU.2.B
The Standard
Use commas in salutation and closing of a letter.
Virginia Standards of Learning for English · Mechanics
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students use a comma after the greeting in a friendly letter, such as "Dear Ana,". They also use a comma after the closing, such as "Your friend,".
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students place a comma after the greeting and after the closing in a friendly letter. They keep the comma separate from the name written below the closing.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may leave out commas, place them after the signature, or add them at the end of every line. They may also confuse a greeting such as "Dear Maya," with a sentence that needs a period.
How to Assess It
- Give students a short letter with missing punctuation. Ask them to add commas to "Dear Sam" and "Your friend" and explain each choice.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs sentence strips for a greeting, body, closing, and signature, then have them assemble and punctuate a friendly letter.
Ask students to explain why commas belong in "Dear Grandma," and "Love," but not after the writer's name.
Play Comma Fix-It by showing letter parts on cards and awarding points for correcting each greeting or closing.
Write a thank-you note to a school worker, checking that the greeting and closing each end with a comma.
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Printable 2.LU.2.B Worksheet
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