Sep 9, 2004 16:29
19 yrs ago
10 viewers *
English term
Comma after "Hi" / "Hello" and "Regards" etc.?
Non-PRO
English
Art/Literary
Linguistics
Punctuation
(1)
Most people who drop me a line simply write “Hi/Hello Christian!”. However, there are also some guys who write “Hi/Hello, Christian”. Why do they use a comma here? Is it correct to use a comma after “Hi” and “Hello” when addressing people?
(2)
I often sign my letters with the words “Regards Christian”. What about comma usage? Would it also be correct to write “Regards, Christian”?
Are there any websites which shed some light on it?
Thanks a lot for your help in advance.
Regards / Regards,
Christian
Most people who drop me a line simply write “Hi/Hello Christian!”. However, there are also some guys who write “Hi/Hello, Christian”. Why do they use a comma here? Is it correct to use a comma after “Hi” and “Hello” when addressing people?
(2)
I often sign my letters with the words “Regards Christian”. What about comma usage? Would it also be correct to write “Regards, Christian”?
Are there any websites which shed some light on it?
Thanks a lot for your help in advance.
Regards / Regards,
Christian
Responses
5 +9 | No / Yes | David Russi |
4 +2 | Use comma, Christian! :) | Kirill Semenov |
4 -1 | FYI | RHELLER |
Responses
+9
5 mins
English term (edited):
comma after
Selected
No / Yes
You don't need a comma in "Hello Christian", though you need one after:
Hello Christian,...
You do need it in
Sincerely,
Christian
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Note added at 12 mins (2004-09-09 16:41:07 GMT)
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According to this site, you do need the comma in the first example:
3. After \"good morning\" or similar salutation or phrase:
* good morning , Mister Smith .
* how are you , Susi .
http://www.is.cs.cmu.edu/trl_conventions/punctuation.html
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Note added at 14 mins (2004-09-09 16:43:41 GMT)
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Here is another example, I guess technically, you DO need the comma:
I often receive e-mails that begin with the following greeting: \"Hi Rachel.\" Although this is certainly a friendly way to begin a letter, it violates one of the many comma rules: Always use a comma when directly addressing someone/something, regardless of whether the direct address is at the beginning or end of the sentence. If the direct address is in the middle of a sentence, use a pair of commas to set off the direct address. Note the placement of commas in the example sentences below:
Example 1: Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please? (Direct address at beginning of sentence)
Example 2: It was a pleasure to meet you, Sir. (Direct address at end of sentence)
Example 3: Thank you, my fellow grammarians, for remembering to use correct English. (Direct address in middle of sentence)
So, you see, the salutation \"Hi Rachel\" should be \"Hi, Rachel.\" A comma is needed between Hi and Rachel because it is a direct address.
http://www.grammarerrors.com/punctuation.html
Hello Christian,...
You do need it in
Sincerely,
Christian
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Note added at 12 mins (2004-09-09 16:41:07 GMT)
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According to this site, you do need the comma in the first example:
3. After \"good morning\" or similar salutation or phrase:
* good morning , Mister Smith .
* how are you , Susi .
http://www.is.cs.cmu.edu/trl_conventions/punctuation.html
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Note added at 14 mins (2004-09-09 16:43:41 GMT)
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Here is another example, I guess technically, you DO need the comma:
I often receive e-mails that begin with the following greeting: \"Hi Rachel.\" Although this is certainly a friendly way to begin a letter, it violates one of the many comma rules: Always use a comma when directly addressing someone/something, regardless of whether the direct address is at the beginning or end of the sentence. If the direct address is in the middle of a sentence, use a pair of commas to set off the direct address. Note the placement of commas in the example sentences below:
Example 1: Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please? (Direct address at beginning of sentence)
Example 2: It was a pleasure to meet you, Sir. (Direct address at end of sentence)
Example 3: Thank you, my fellow grammarians, for remembering to use correct English. (Direct address in middle of sentence)
So, you see, the salutation \"Hi Rachel\" should be \"Hi, Rachel.\" A comma is needed between Hi and Rachel because it is a direct address.
http://www.grammarerrors.com/punctuation.html
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Aisha Maniar
2 mins
|
agree |
Kurt Porter
14 mins
|
agree |
Marijke Singer
: I think the reason why people do not put a comma in "Hi Christian" is because the "hi" has replaced "Dear" and after "Dear" you do not use a comma (formal letter writing).
20 mins
|
agree |
Laurel Porter (X)
: Nice citations! This is a problem with e-mail: It's very quick & casual (no capitals, etc.), & speech-like in form. This perpetuates in writing shortcuts that would normally never be used. Nice point, Marijke!
21 mins
|
agree |
verbis
35 mins
|
agree |
Tehani
2 hrs
|
agree |
senin
4 hrs
|
agree |
Saleh Chowdhury, Ph.D.
10 hrs
|
agree |
Ramesh Madhavan
10 hrs
|
agree |
le flaneur
: 'Hi,' in a greeting does not do the same work as 'Dear.' 'Dear' modifies the name of the addressee. 'Hi," doesn't. ('My dear Smith.' 'Hello, my Dear.)
3063 days
|
disagree |
pta-ha
: this not the right rule, though people tend to ignore rules lately:)
7088 days
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Hi, David, thanks a lot for your help."
+2
4 mins
English term (edited):
comma after
Use comma, Christian! :)
.
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Note added at 27 mins (2004-09-09 16:56:29 GMT)
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I would say that you do need a comma to separate the name as an addressing form.
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Note added at 29 mins (2004-09-09 16:58:38 GMT)
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And at the end of your letter, when you say \"Regards\", etc., the comma shows that you sending this final wishes or addressing not to yourself but to your addressee.
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Note added at 27 mins (2004-09-09 16:56:29 GMT)
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I would say that you do need a comma to separate the name as an addressing form.
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Note added at 29 mins (2004-09-09 16:58:38 GMT)
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And at the end of your letter, when you say \"Regards\", etc., the comma shows that you sending this final wishes or addressing not to yourself but to your addressee.
-1
2 hrs
English term (edited):
comma after
FYI
2. The Greeting. The greeting always ends with a comma. The greeting may be formal, beginning with the word "dear" and using the person's given name or relationship, or it may be informal if appropriate.
Formal: Dear Uncle Jim, Dear Mr. Wilkins,
Informal: Hi Joe, Greetings,
5. The signature line. Type or print your name. The handwritten signature goes above this line and below the close. The signature line and the handwritten signature are indented to the same column as the close. The signature should be written in blue or black ink. If the letter is quite informal, you may omit the signature line as long as you sign the letter.
Use commas after the salutation (also called the greeting) in a personal letter and after the complimentary closing in all letters.
Salutation:
Dear Fred,
My dearest Emmeline,
Closing:
Sincerely,
Truly yours,
Formal: Dear Uncle Jim, Dear Mr. Wilkins,
Informal: Hi Joe, Greetings,
5. The signature line. Type or print your name. The handwritten signature goes above this line and below the close. The signature line and the handwritten signature are indented to the same column as the close. The signature should be written in blue or black ink. If the letter is quite informal, you may omit the signature line as long as you sign the letter.
Use commas after the salutation (also called the greeting) in a personal letter and after the complimentary closing in all letters.
Salutation:
Dear Fred,
My dearest Emmeline,
Closing:
Sincerely,
Truly yours,
Reference:
Discussion