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Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Question: "Hi."

A question from Josephine:

"My sister and I have a difference of opinion here.

She criticized me for putting a comma between "Hi" and her name, "Lil."
Example: Hi, Lil,

I said that one goes there. She said that it doesn't.

Who is right?"

Josephine is right. Although most people don't use a comma in casual e-mails, you really should put one in:

Hi, Josephine.
Good job, Josephine.
Thanks for the question, Josephine.

2 comments:

Mehmet said...

Dear, Bonnie,

If you are using a name as a salutation at the start of a correspondence does the name have a comma before it? I feel it doesn't and that I should have started this comment as 'Dear Bonnie,'. Please tell me if I am wrong. I do understand the need for a comma before the name in other situations.

If the salutation is 'Hi', as you might use in a casual e-mail, then how or why does the rule change? Would starting this comment as 'Hi Bonnie,' have been incorrect?

Thanks,
Mehmet

The Sentence Sleuth said...

Hi, Mehmet.
Thanks for your question. This is how you punctuate a Hi.

Dear Mehmet,
Thanks for your question. This is how you punctuate a Dear.

Love,
Me