How To Punctuate A Letter Greeting
The colon is formal But remember. Regardless of what you call them closings are almost always followed by a comma.
They should be written like these.
How to punctuate a letter greeting. Hi Anne That said Hi marks the correspondence as. How about if we want the greeting to start with Dear or with the name of the recipient. It has to do with the common Dear John greeting.
You can also write a greeting that is still general but focuses on the group of people you are reaching out to. Dear John Comma errors are also frequently found in the greetings of emails and holiday letters. Heres the correct punctuation.
Yes you need to use a comma between the persons name and the greeting. Not putting any punctuation at all is also acceptable when adhering to the open-punctuation system or full-block style in business correspondence but a semicolon should not. However its important to consider the greeting before using a colon.
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. American usage prefers Yours sincerely or Sincerely yours A for all business letters. Hello Kathy followed by your.
When paired with a. Use a comma after hello hi and terms like good morning at the start of an email or letter. They just sit there alonesadly lacking the companionship of a comma colon or period.
In a formal message one that does not begin with a direct address you would likely write. It cannot stand alone just like the names. Try one of these two openings if you want to sound professional without using Dear.
One exception occurs in open-punctuation business letters. A comma for a personal letter a colon for a business letter and either punctuation mark in an email. I think I know why people punctuate email greetings this way.
Dear Anne But the greeting Hi is a form of direct address which by convention is set off with commas. Do not use one after Dear in a phrase like Dear John This is a page about commas with salutations in letters and emails. Dear is not an interjection but an adjective.
While Dear Charlie is correct with just a comma after Charlie if you go the less-formal route it should be Hi. It has examples and an interactive exercise. Dear John begins a thought while Hi June.
Learn how to punctuate salutations in emails and letters so you can begin all your correspondence with the desired level of business professionalism or a mor. Lazy cat Second a comma after Dear John makes more sense than a comma after Hi June. 2 days agoThe grammatical convention demonstrates that a colon should be used in formal letters salutation part such as transmittal complaint application and intent letters.
Colons convey a professional tone. Tips for writing business letter salutations Start with the word Dear Consider your relationship with the intended recipient Research company personnel Address recipient by job title Address recipient by personal title When in doubt use Ms Complete with comma or colon Double-check your. Keep it formal.
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. For example if you are contacting people in your network for help with your job search you might use the greeting Dear Friends and Family Leave Off the Salutation. Dear isnt the same as hi Dear is a modifier and you dont use a comma to separate modifiers from the things they modify lazy cat They work as a unit.
In British usage it is traditional to close with Yours sincerely when writing to a named person but Yours faithfully when using the Dear SirMadam greeting but this distinction is anything but crucial. In this format neither the salutation nor the closing is followed by punctuation of any sort. Dear is a modifier and you dont use a comma to separate modifiers from the things they modify lazy cat They work as a unit.
Try to avoid the temptation to begin your professional letter with informal salutations like Hello Greetings Hi There or Good Morning if you dont know the. If youre sending a business letter and want to convey a professional serious tone at the beginning of the message then a colon is appropriate. Dear isnt required in email even when writing to a stranger.
