Hello Again Jane Where to Put Comma

Ah yes, the comma. This innocent-looking punctuation mark is often the bane of many writers who just tin can't seem to get this mark to cooperate. The poor lilliputian guy probably doesn't go also many holiday cards—hate mail, though, is a whole different story.

That might explain why this piffling troublemaker seems to enjoy messing up everybody else'south greeting cards. Ofttimes, the comma is mistakenly left out of many greetings and closings that it actually has every correct to be a office of. Possibly, just perchance, if we acquire how to properly use commas in greetings and closings, commas will finish making things so hard for u.s. in the rest of our writing—but we probably shouldn't hold our jiff.

Comma rules for greetings

Hi, comma, my old friend. When information technology comes to greetings and commas, there is one general rule that you lot should follow: place the comma after the greeting merely before a person's name. Regardless of what your greeting is, this rule volition usually guide you to success. Even so, there is one common speed crash-land that might slow yous downward, which we will get to in a scrap.

Comma afterwards "Hello" and "Hey"

If yous want to exist friendly, a classic "Hello," "Hey," or "How-do-you-do" is always a skilful opener. When using any of these greetings, you should put a comma later them and before a person's name. If using any of these past themselves equally an interjection, you would simply end the sentence with whatever punctuation marking you would ordinarily use.

Example:

✅ Correct: Hello, Abby!
❌ Incorrect: Hello Abby!

Comma after "Honey"

At present, we go to a common stumbling block. Firstly, whenever you use "Dear" to open a letter or other message, there is NOT a comma between "Dear" and the person'south name.

Example:

✅ Correct: Love Santa, I desire globe peace and a Playstation 5 for Christmas.
❌ Incorrect: Love, Santa, I want world peace and a Playstation v for Christmas.

✏️What's the deal with "Dear?"

Yous're probably wondering why "Beloved" is—spoiler alert!—going to be the sole exception to the general comma dominion. Well, it is because "Dear" isn't actually being used as a greeting; it is being used equally an describing word!

It's true! For case, information technology makes sense to say "I am writing a letter of the alphabet to dear James" but information technology doesn't make sense to say "I am writing a letter of the alphabet to hello James." So, when yous are opening a letter with "Love," you are actually giving someone a nice compliment.

Thinking well-nigh information technology that manner, you'll run across that "Dear" isn't the merely discussion that won't let a comma get between them and the person they care most. For case, you could open a alphabetic character with "Dear Lisa," "Darling Lyonel," or "Cherished friends." As you tin can see, none of these openers use commas before the names either. Of class, you will still demand a comma afterward the entire opener when y'all transition into the primary body of the message.

Comma earlier names

The reason behind all of this comma madness has to do with what is known as the vocative case. In grammar, the vocative case refers to a judgement that is directly addressing someone or something. When using the vocative instance, it is considered proper grammar to separate out a person's/animate being'southward/thing'due south name using commas. For example, the following sentence uses the vocative case to directly address an inanimate object:

• Come up on, blasted machine. Piece of work!

Because greetings, salutations, well wishes, and goodbyes are often addressed directly to a person, we typically use a comma before a person's proper name in order to properly apply the vocative case.

Example:

✅ Correct:Great to see you, Daniela!
❌ Wrong: Slap-up to see you Daniela!

Comma after "Happy birthday"

Because you typically say "Happy birthday," directly to someone, you would use a comma after the "Happy altogether" but before their name.

Example:

✅ Correct: Happy altogether, Dad!
❌ Incorrect: Happy birthday Dad!

Comma after "Practiced morning"

According to about grammar resources, the greeting "Good morning" should have a comma after information technology and before a person'southward proper noun, just similar all other greetings. However, many people often get rid of the comma in informal messages and writing. Then, don't be surprised if you don't run into a comma clouding up someone's "Skillful morning."

Case:

✅ Correct: Good morning, Chris!
❌ Wrong: Good morn Chris!

Comma after "Congratulations"

Although it doesn't await like a "greeting," the word "congratulations" is often said direct to a person in social club to make them feel good about an accomplishment. In order to please our old friend the vocative case, we need a comma after "Congratulations."

Example:

✅ Correct: Congratulations, Becky!
❌ Incorrect: Congratulations Becky!

Comma after holiday greetings

As with all other greetings, holiday greetings and well wishes are typically said directly to some other person. That beingness the instance, we one time over again need a comma according to the vocative case. This will exist truthful no matter which vacation you and your friends are celebrating.

Case:

✅ Correct: Happy Halloween, Dr. Frankenstein!
❌ Incorrect: Happy Halloween Dr. Frankenstein!

✅ Correct:Happy Leif Erikson Solar day , Patrick!
❌ Incorrect: Happy Leif Erikson 24-hour interval Patrick!

How do holidays get punctuated overall? Take a look at Valentine's Twenty-four hours and others for examples.

Tips for commas and greetings

When it comes to greetings, commas aren't also tough to use. To sum it upward, just proceed these tips in heed and you'll exist showing those commas who'southward boss.

ane. Direct greetings demand a comma before a proper noun

If you are saying a greeting directly to someone, you need a comma. This is true whether you are using it to begin a holiday bill of fare or shouting information technology from the mountaintops. Even if you lot are referring to people generally without using their proper noun, you withal need a comma if you are speaking direct to them.  For example,

✅ Right: Hello , my friends, and welcome to my humble home.
❌ Incorrect: How-do-you-do my friends and welcome to my humble home

ii. "Dear" and other modifiers don't need a comma

Words like "dear," "love," and "cherished" are adjectives, which means they are existence used to modify a proper name rather than every bit a direct address. When used with a name, these words aren't followed by a comma.

3. Greetings don't need commas if non addressing someone

If a greeting or phrase is beingness used in full general and non to directly address someone, you don't need a comma after it. For example,

✅ Correct: I am going to wish Hector a happy birthday today.
❌ Wrong: I am going to wish Hector a happy birthday, today.

Comma rules for closings

When writing messages (or postcards, emails, etc.), the typical advice is that you e'er follow a closing with a comma, regardless of what the closing is. Of course, informal writing may not ever follow this dominion, so don't be surprised if your friends and family write comma-free messages to you every now and over again.

Comma later on "Give thanks you lot"

Example:

✅ Correct: … and that is why I deserve the award. Thank you, Dan ❌ Incorrect: … and that is why I deserve the laurels. Thank you Dan

Comma after "Sincerely"

Example:

✅ Right: I hope we see each other once again next twelvemonth! Sincerely, Amanda
❌Incorrect: I promise we see each other again next twelvemonth! Sincerely Amanda

Comma after sign offs

Regardless of what word or phrase you apply as a sign off, remember that you need a comma earlier you lot sign your name. If you decide to sign off your message with a consummate sentence, you'll often need to consult your letter-writing guide of pick to figure out what to exercise: it's possible to apply a comma, period, or even an exclamation signal (in informal messages) to bring things to a close.

Case:

✅ Right: … and that'south how I learned to avert wild bears. Keep it real, Claude
❌Incorrect: … and that's how I learned to avoid wild bears. Keep it existent Claude

Follow these tips for writing a thank you card.

Tips for commas and closings

Because the same rules utilize, closings are going to have the aforementioned tips as greetings. This time, though, we don't have that tricky "Love" (or other adjectives) to worry about.

1. Closings that aren't complete sentences demand a comma

If you are closing with a unmarried discussion or a phrase, you need a comma.  For example,

✅ Correct: I'll be domicile in time for the holidays. Dear, Naomi
❌ Wrong: I'll be home in time for the holidays. Love Naomi

 two. You can swap out a comma for an exclamation bespeak in informal messages

Typically, you'd employ either a comma or a period to close a formal message. Generally, you'll only want to use an exclamation point when writing an informal message. For example,

Appropriate: Sounds great, bud. Looking forward to the large game! JT
Probably non appropriate: …which means the merger should proceed as scheduled. Looking frontward to doing future business organization with y'all! Thaddeus Q. Wilimingshire Four, CEO

Are you ready to take this quiz on commas in greetings now?

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Source: https://www.thesaurus.com/e/grammar/comma-placement-greetings-and-sign-offs/