How To Use Commas In A Greeting
Commas can be a particularly tricky punctuation mark.
How to use commas in a greeting. Commas confuse us perhaps because there are so many rules for using them and also because comma usage varies by style. If you want to sound friendly with a stranger try these. The one with the comma is less formal. When an adverbial phrase begins a sentence it s often followed by a comma but it doesn t have to be especially if it s short. But see exceptions below the reason is direct address we use commas to show that we are talking to the reader not about the reader.
Hello kathy followed by your message or hi. Realistically most of us will use an interjection such as hi or hello instead of dear when inviting a coworker for coffee. Best wishes mark mary sally and sam. Casual salutations between friends and family. Julie thanks for the.
The oxford comma is an infamous example. Begin the message on the following line hi lola. The associated press ap stylebook doesn t ban the oxford comma but the guide recommends using it only when necessary for clarity. When the salutation in your letter or email starts with hello or hi then you should put a comma before the name of the person you re addressing. This one always has a colon and is ultra formal.
As a rule of thumb if the phrase is longer than about four words use the comma. A comma with hi or hello. When signing off you always want a comma between your sign off aka your complimentary close and the name s of the sender s. While there s some degree of flexibility in how commas are used it s important to have a clear grasp of the rules. If your email has an informal tone insert a comma between the greeting and the name and use either a comma or a period at the end of the greeting.
Snodgrass or dear ms. There are some cases where you know you should use a comma such as when separating items in a list but there are other times when you might be unsure whether or not a comma is needed. They want a comma between hi and the name hello julie. Best wishes mark mary sally and sam. Yes you need to use a comma between the person s name and the greeting.