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This question is Not Answered
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Anonymous
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470182
Tue, 29 Jan 08 02:53 PM
I specifically remember learning this punctuation in grade school and high school:
Hello, Dolly. (Hi, John.) I remember learning to put the comma after a casual opening, but if it was "Dear" or "To", etc., you would not put the comma there (Dear John, -or- To Whom It May Concern: ).
Now it seems as if everyone is writing: Hello Dolly or Hi John - with no comma.
Can you tell me if I am remembering incorrectly or if this is "old" punctuation style that has been abandoned?
Thanks,
Cora
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Yoong Liat
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470192
Tue, 29 Jan 08 03:08 PM
Hi Anon
Now it seems as if everyone is writing: Hello Dolly or Hi John - with no comma.
In modern English, the stress is on less punctuation. For example, it was formerly Mr. (in BrE), but nowadays, it is Mr (without period). However, in AmE, a period is inserted after after Mr.
I believe that other members will be able to give you more examples.
Joined on
Mon, Sep 4 2006
Veteran Member
6,757
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Anonymous,
1 yr 299 days ago
I'm sorry, but that was totally not what I was looking for...
The reference to the used comma is the one that is BETWEEN Hello and Dolly: Hello, Dolly.
As far as other punctuation, that is not my concern but thanks for the response anyway.
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Grammar Geek
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470274
Tue, 29 Jan 08 05:42 PM
I don't think you are remembering anything incorrectly, but I do think that these days, that comma ("Hello Dolly") is very rarely used. I certainly don't.
Joined on
Tue, Jan 10 2006
Veteran Member
19,673
Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random!
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Anonymous,
1 yr 293 days ago
I specifically remember this, too. i was told by a former boss it was "Ungrammatical" -- why did I listen to that idiot? I finally did a little research and found the comma is indeed grammatical.
Anonymous,
1 yr 122 days ago
hi, i'm 24 years old. "Hello, Dolly. (Hi, John.)" is exactly how i remember learning casual salutations in middle/high school on the East Coast. ...unsure whether this style is still used
Anonymous,
1 yr 95 days ago
I am 26 and from the Midwest; I was also taught the "Hello, Dolly" and "Hi, John" approach. Although now that I am in the professional world on the East Coast I must say, although I still use it religiously, I rarely see it in other people's writing.
Anonymous,
1 yr 54 days ago
I say use the comma. I do ... just put it in a sentence. "Dear" acts as an adjective ... "Hello" is like a sentence, a greeting to the person you are writing to, and in English, we put a comma to denote the person being spoken to. Right? Dear (adjective) John (subject), Hello (greeting/senence/thought), John (subject being spoken to), In standard prose, you would write, "Dear John, I have been waiting to hear from you." Or "Hello, John, I have been waiting to hear from you." We only put the salutation up top in a letter to help the reader ... but it is still apart of the first sentence. Please correct me if I am wrong, but it makes sense to me! :)
Anonymous,
1 yr 54 days ago
(Forgive all my other errors here .. I was just typing too fast!)
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