When to use a comma when addressing someone

Recently, this cartoon made the rounds of language mavens:

The comma rule depicted here is simple: use a comma with the name of a person you are directly addressing. If the name comes first, it is followed by a comma: Children, please stop jumping on the beds. If the name comes at the end of the sentence, the comma precedes the name: Stop jumping on the beds, boys. And if the name (or names) comes in the middle of the sentence, surround it with commas: What I said, Sean and Duncan, was to stop jumping on the beds! As you can see from my example sentences (other than my children’s habit of jumping on the beds), you don’t have to use a proper name to address someone. A title works, even an informal one like boys.

In the cartoon, the comma changes the sentence from a bothersome one about cannibalism to a friendlier one about a grandchild encouraging Grandpa to have something to eat (as long as it’s not Grandma). Got it? Good. Let’s try a quick quiz.

1. Arthur you really should consider running for office again.
2. When Arthur ran last time, he lost by just a few votes.
3. Don’t you want to go the distance Arthur?
4. Right now Arthur is the best time to campaign.
5. Just because the election is two years away is no reason for Arthur not to start knocking on doors.

Give it a whirl, and check back on Monday for the correct answers. In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments, post them below. And if you just want someone else to think about commas for you, visit my Website.

Email continues to be the predominant form of business communication, yet many business climates are becoming even more casual. What’s the best way to start a message? How formal or informal should your email salutation be?

The best answer: It depends.

An email opening consists of a greeting and a name. It can set a formal, respectful tone or an informal, friendly tone.

• Dear Mr. Lee:
• Good morning, Brad.
• Hi Brad!

A follower of my blog questioned whether to include a comma between an informal greeting and the person’s name:

• Hi Brad or Hi, Brad.
• Hello Brad or Hello, Brad.
• Good morning Brad or Good morning, Brad.

I hopped online and visited several grammar sites. They agreed on the convention of inserting a comma between the greeting and the name:

• Hi, Brad.
• Hello, Brad.
• Good morning, Brad.

Here are four sites with recommendations for email greetings and how to punctuate them:

1) grammarly.com

In business emails, the most formal way of ending a salutation is with a colon. So instead of “Dear Ms. Johnson,” you should write “Dear Ms. Johnson:”

However, this caveat follows:

In some cases, it might not be a faux pas to use a comma at the end of the salutation. You might write a business email where the utmost formality is not necessary, and in that case, the colon is not required.

2) businesswritingblog.com

Yes, you need to use a comma between the person’s name and the greeting. The reason is “direct address.” We use commas to show that we are talking to the reader, not about the reader.

• Hello, Rene.
• Danny, thank you for your thoughtful message.
• Congratulations, Michael!
• I am writing to you, Kathryn, with some sad news.

Never use a comma after the greeting Dear: Dear, Claudio:

3) grammarunderground.com

In very formal circumstances, you could follow your salutation with a colon. For example:

• Dear Mr. Smith:
• Dear Professor Jones:

When the salutation in your email starts with Hello or Hi, you should put a comma before the name of the person you’re addressing. It is also an accepted practice to put a comma after the name of the person you’re addressing.(*) For example:

Hi, Michael,

Thanks for paying for dinner last night.

Using a colon (instead of a comma) after such an informal salutation would not be an error, but it would be unusual.

(*) However,I have seen many informal salutations that use a period at the end:

Hi, Michael. Hello, John. Good morning, Mrs. Vincent.

4) erinwrightwriting.com

The difference between the comma and the colon might seem insignificant, but it actually reflects the level of formality in your message. There is a common misconception that commas should never be used after salutations. That’s just not true. Commas can be used after informal salutations that include an adjective such as “Dear.” The trick is that you have to decide if your message is formal or informal.

Letters and emails to family are pretty much always informal:

Dear Mom and Dad,

Thank you for the birthday gift!

However, the level of formality in business letters and emails will depend on your work environment and your personal relationship with the recipient.

The consensus:

As you can see, you have choices. Here’s my summary:

• If your email has a formal tone, use Dear and a colon at the end your email salutation. Dear Ms. Watson:
• 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. Hello, Kathy, (followed by your message) or Hi, Kathy. (followed by your message).

If you want to set a tone of excitement in an informal email, you might want to end the greeting with an exclamation point. Hi, Brad! But use this mark sparingly.

Known as The Ruthless Editor, Kathleen Watson has nearly three decades of experience in both corporate and academic writing and editing. Her free weekly blog, Killer Tips from The Ruthless Editor, is full of practical tips on word and punctuation use. This material was posted there on Dec. 13, 2016. For more tips on word use and misuse, check out her book Grammar for People Who Hate Rules: Killer Tips from The Ruthless Editor. 

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