How To Use Commas In A Greeting

In this situation a comma follows the interjection and a period or exclamation point follows the recipient s name.
How to use commas in a greeting. 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. The associated press ap stylebook doesn t ban the oxford comma but the guide recommends using it only when necessary for clarity. 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. The one with the comma is less formal. 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. It is also standard practice to put a comma after the name of the person you re addressing. While there s some degree of flexibility in how commas are used it s important to have a clear grasp of the rules. 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. Realistically most of us will use an interjection such as hi or hello instead of dear when inviting a coworker for coffee.
Commas can be a particularly tricky punctuation mark. If you want to sound friendly with a stranger try these. Use a colon in a business letter. As a rule of thumb if the phrase is longer than about four words use the comma. Best wishes mark mary sally and sam.
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. Use these forms for friends and acquaintances. Hello kathy followed by your message or hi. You can also use a comma with a shorter phrase when you want to emphasize it or add a pause for literary effect. They want a comma between hi and the name hello julie.
Begin the message on the following line to whom it may concern. Begin the message on the following line hi lola. Best wishes mark mary sally and sam. Casual salutations between friends and family. Hi julie english teachers don t like this choice.