How To Use Commas When Naming Someone

Look at the below sentence.

How to use commas when naming someone. Commas for direct address i e the vocative case when addressing someone directly writers should separate the name being used e g john mary my darling you little rascal my son from rest of the sentence using a comma or commas. For this reason it s important to include the comma when addressing someone directly. New oxford style manual suggests use commas to mark off a non defining or non restrictive word phrase or clause which comments on the main clause or supplies additional information about it nosm s example. For example this is a common but incorrect comma usage. They re coordinating if you could place and between them you shouldn t put a comma after the final adjective.

I visited my hometown regina this weekend. Use commas to separate coordinate adjectives. I met my wife dorothy at a dance. 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. I married my spouse peter two summers ago.

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. Because you re addressing a person directly there should be a comma between the greeting and the person s name. So basically use commas if the name is for something or someone who is unique and omit them if they re not unique. As a rule of thumb if the phrase is longer than about four words use the comma. In the example above the name of the person being addressed i e maria appears at the beginning of the sentence.

You can also use a comma with a shorter phrase when you want to emphasize it or add a pause for literary effect. Abraham lincoln was the 16th president of the united states. This is because the sentence is talking about a particular person john. Yes you need to use a comma between the person s name and the greeting. This is another common comma error but don t be fooled.

The person or thing being addressed is said to be in the vocative case. My boss jennifer smith just gave me a bonus. We could however rewrite the sentence so that maria s name appears at the end of the sentence. You only need to use a comma with the person s name if the phrase serves as a non restrictive modifier.