Commas in Greetings & Closings of Letters

Section 1

Why Do We Write Letters?

People have been writing letters for a very, very long time! Long before we had phones or computers, letters were the only way to send a message to someone far away. A person would write words on paper, fold it up, and send it to a friend or family member. Over time, people agreed on special rules so that every letter would be easy to read. One of those rules is about using commas.

Long, Long Ago

People sent messages by carving them on stone or writing on special paper called papyrus. There were no commas yet!

Hundreds of Years Ago

Writers started using commas and other marks to show readers where to pause. This made reading much easier.

About 200 Years Ago

Schools began teaching children the right way to write a letter, including where to put commas in the greeting and the closing.

Today

We still follow the same comma rules when we write letters, cards, and even emails. The rules haven't changed!

So here is the big question: Where exactly does the comma go in a letter? That is what this lesson is all about. Let's find out!

Section 2

The Two Comma Rules for Letters

Every letter has two special parts that need a comma. The first part is the greeting (also called the salutation). The second part is the closing. Let's learn what each one means.

The Greeting

The greeting is at the very top of your letter. It says hello to the person you are writing to. Examples: Dear Mom or Dear Mr. Smith. Always put a comma after the greeting!

The Closing

The closing is near the end of your letter. It is a nice way to say goodbye. Examples: Your friend or Love. Always put a comma after the closing!

Where the Comma Goes

The comma always comes right after the last word of the greeting or closing. No space before the comma — it hugs the word!

What Comes Next

After the greeting comma, you start a new line and write the body of your letter. After the closing comma, you write your name on the next line.

✦ Key Takeaway

Think of the comma like a little wave 👋. When you say hello at the top of a letter, you wave — that's the comma after the greeting. When you say goodbye at the bottom, you wave again — that's the comma after the closing. Two waves, two commas!

Section 3

See It! — A Letter with Commas

Let's look at a picture of a real letter. See if you can spot the two commas!

Did you see the two red commas? The first comma comes right after Dear Grandma — that is the greeting. The second comma comes right after Love — that is the closing. The body of the letter (the middle part) does not need a special comma at the start or end.

Section 4

How It Works — Step by Step

Writing a letter is like building a sandwich. You need the top piece of bread (the greeting), the filling in the middle (the body), and the bottom piece of bread (the closing and your name). The commas are like the toothpicks that hold each piece in place!

Here is the pattern you should follow every time you write a letter:

The Letter Pattern

Greeting + , → Body → Closing + , → Name

Remember: the comma always goes right after the greeting words and right after the closing words. No comma after your name at the very end!

Section 5

Types of Greetings and Closings

There are many different ways to say hello and goodbye in a letter. No matter which words you pick, the comma rule stays the same. Here are some common greetings and closings you might use.

Greetings (Hello Words)	With Comma ✓
Dear Mom	Dear Mom,
Dear Mr. Lee	Dear Mr. Lee,
Dear Best Friend	Dear Best Friend,
Hi Jake	Hi Jake,
Hello Class	Hello Class,

Closings (Goodbye Words)	With Comma ✓
Love	Love,
Your friend	Your friend,
Sincerely	Sincerely,
Thank you	Thank you,
See you soon	See you soon,

Notice that every single greeting and every single closing gets a comma at the end. It does not matter how long or short the words are. Even a tiny closing like Love, needs a comma!

✦ Key Takeaway

Think of the comma as a tiny pause button ⏸️. When you read "Dear Grandma," you stop for just a second before reading the rest of the letter. When you read "Love," you pause before seeing who wrote the letter. The comma tells your eyes to take a little break.

Section 6

Worked Example — Write a Letter Together

Let's write a short letter to a friend named Lily. We will go step by step and put the commas in the right places.

Write a Letter Together

Step 1 — Write the GreetingWe want to say hello to Lily. We write: Dear Lily. Now we add a comma right after her name.

Dear Lily,

Step 2 — Write the BodyNow we write what we want to say. The body does not need a special comma at the start.

Dear Lily,
I miss you! Do you want to play at the park on Saturday? We can bring our bikes.

Step 3 — Write the ClosingWe pick nice goodbye words. Let's use Your friend. We add a comma right after it.

Dear Lily,
I miss you! Do you want to play at the park on Saturday? We can bring our bikes.

Your friend,

Step 4 — Write Your NameLast, we write our name on the next line. No comma after the name!

Dear Lily,
I miss you! Do you want to play at the park on Saturday? We can bring our bikes.

Your friend,
Emma

🎉 Great job! Our letter has two commas — one after the greeting and one after the closing. That is exactly right!

Section 7

Right vs. Wrong — Common Mistakes

Let's look at some common mistakes kids make when writing letters. Can you tell what is wrong before reading the answer?

Wrong ✗	Right ✓	Why?
Dear Dad (no comma)	Dear Dad,	The greeting always needs a comma at the end.
love, (lowercase L)	Love,	The closing starts with a capital letter.
Your Friend. (period)	Your friend,	Use a comma, not a period, after the closing.
Dear, Mom, (extra comma)	Dear Mom,	Only one comma — after the whole greeting, not in the middle.
Sincerely (missing comma)	Sincerely,	Don't forget the comma after the closing!

✦ Key Takeaway

Here is a trick: before you finish your letter, do the "Two-Comma Check." Look at the top — is there a comma after the greeting? Look at the bottom — is there a comma after the closing? If you see two commas, you did it right! ✅✅

Section 8

What's Next? — More Comma Fun!

Now that you know where commas go in letters, you are ready to learn even more about commas! As you get older, you will learn that commas show up in many other places, too.

What You Learned Today	What You'll Learn Later
Comma after the greeting in a letter	Commas in lists: I like dogs, cats, and fish.
Comma after the closing in a letter	Commas in dates: July 4, 2025
Friendly letters to people you know	Business letters with a colon instead of a comma

You are building a strong foundation. Every time you write a letter or a card, you are practicing an important skill. Keep it up!

Section 9

Practice Problems

Try these five problems. Click "Show Answer" when you are ready to check your work!

PROBLEM 1 — WHAT DO YOU KNOW?

Where do you put a comma in a letter? Name the two places.

PROBLEM 2 — FIX THE GREETING

This greeting is missing something. What needs to be added? Dear Ms. Ruiz

PROBLEM 3 — PICK THE RIGHT ONE

Which closing is written correctly? A. your friend, B. Your friend, C. Your friend.

PROBLEM 4 — WRITE A SHORT LETTER

Write a short letter to your teacher. Use "Dear" in the greeting and "Thank you" as the closing. Make sure you put commas in the right places!

PROBLEM 5 — FIND ALL THE MISTAKES

This letter has three mistakes. Can you find all of them?
dear Aunt Rosa
I loved the birthday present you sent me. The book is so fun to read!

Love
Ben

Summary

What We Learned

In this lesson, you learned that every letter has two places that need a comma. The first comma goes at the end of the greeting — that's the hello part at the very top, like Dear Mom, or Hi Jake,. The second comma goes at the end of the closing — that's the goodbye part near the bottom, like Love, or Your friend,. After the closing comma, you write your name on the next line.

Remember the "Two-Comma Check" every time you write a letter: one comma after the greeting and one comma after the closing. The comma is like a little wave — hello 👋 and goodbye 👋. Now you are ready to write wonderful letters to anyone!