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  1. victo

    victo Active Member

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    salutations / complimentary closings

    Discussion in 'Word Mechanics' started by victo, Feb 9, 2015.

    Salutations and Complimentary Closings

    When a salutation appears on a line by itself, are we required to put a comma after "Hi" or "Hello" when a person's name follows?

    Should it be:

    Hi Andrew,

    I am writing to say...

    OR:

    Hi, Andrew,

    I am writing to say...

    And for complimentary closings, do we place a comma after "Thanks" and "Thank you"?

    Examples:

    Hi Andrew,

    I am writing to say ......

    Thank you,

    Steven


    Comma or period after the word " everything" below? I used a comma.

    Hi Andrew,

    I am writing to say ......

    Thank you for everything,

    Steven
     
  2. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    I would change this to:

    Hi, Andrew,

    I am writing to say ......

    Thank you for everything.

    Yours,

    Steven


    But if I left out the "yours", I wouldn't add the comma to the "thank you for..." I don't read that as a closing, so if you end with it, you just have no closing.

    Edited to add: Also, is there any reason why you don't capitalize your subjects? ("salulations/complimentary closings" should be "Salutations/complimentary closings" or "Salutations/Complimentary Closings".)
     
    Catrin Lewis likes this.
  3. Shadowfax

    Shadowfax Contributor Contributor

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  4. Harybald

    Harybald New Member

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    When a salutation appears on a line by itself, are we required to put a comma after "Hi" or "Hello" when a person's name follows?
     
  5. Chinspinner

    Chinspinner Contributor Contributor

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    I wouldn't.

    "Dear Andrew," doesn't require a comma, so why would "Hi Andrew,"?
     
  6. lustrousonion

    lustrousonion Senior Member

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    The convention in letter/email writing is to omit the comma in the greeting line.

    Not Hi, Andrew,
    but Hi Andrew,

    Thanks or Thank you for everything should not be your sign off. End it with a period.
     
  7. Catrin Lewis

    Catrin Lewis Contributor Contributor Contest Winner 2023 Community Volunteer

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    Because "Dear" is an adjective and "Hi" is a salutation. Unless Andrew has been patronizing certain shops in Colorado? :D
     
  8. lustrousonion

    lustrousonion Senior Member

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    Hello or Hi or even What's up are imitations of Dear when in the salutation line of a letter. While the comma might technically be correct, it isn't the convention. Look up any article giving advice about informal emails, and you'll see the same.
     

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