As a result, the reference to Cassini in the following sentence no longer makes sense. The reason is "direct address." 3. But direct address can occur anywhere in a sentence. To sum up, the vocative comma: addresses individuals directly; is used to offset the addressee; may offset the addressee at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence We use commas while combining multiple phrases in one sentence or writing about different items in a list. Dude, that’s awesome. Answer: Yes, you need to use a comma between the person’s name and the greeting. I hope you know, Donelle, that we appreciate your hard work. Also use a comma after a city-state combination within a sentence. Again, no sense = no commas. In English, when you address someone (or something) directly, the name you use is offset with a comma (if it's at the start or end of the sentence) or two commas (if it's in the middle ). 1. Congratulations, Michael! If they're at the end or beginning of a sentence, of course, the period at the end of the sentence precludes the need for a second comma. The name is therefore essential, meaning that no commas should be used. In the examples below, the words in the vocative case are shaded: We use commas to show that we are talking to the reader, not about the reader.. Hello, Rene. Use a comma for direct address. Use a pair of commas in the middle of a sentence to set off clauses, phrases, and words that are not essential to the meaning of the sentence. In all the examples of direct address above, we’ve put the name of the person being addressed at the end of the sentence, like in the following: Here is the cake you ordered , Simon. USE A COMMA TO INDICATE DIRECT ADDRESS. The sentence still works grammatically, but we do not know which spacecraft the sentence is referring to. I think, John, you’re wrong. Goodbye, Norma Jean. Now be very, very careful. 6. Danny, thank you for your thoughtful message. But almost every time I see a direct address in my e-mail in-box, it has no comma before the name. The same rules apply for titles. [I]n formal writing, direct address takes a comma before the person’s name. Nicole Fornabaio/rd.com, shutterstock . 2. Use a comma to separate each element in an address. Hi June, It does, however, have a comma after the name. There are more usages of a comma, for example, how adding or removing comma before and after a name changes the meaning of the sentence — In this Grammar.com article let us understand how to correctly use commas with names. Example: I’m going to the beach today, Mom. (But see exceptions below.) Use one comma before to indicate the beginning of the pause and one at the end to indicate the end of the pause. When you address someone directly, their name is said to be in the vocative case. One could argue, however, that e-mails aren’t formal, and that there’s little harm in streamlining for the sake of efficiency. Rule: When a speaker in a sentence names the person to whom he is speaking, this addressing of his audience is called direct address. Direct address is indicated by the use of a comma or commas, depending upon its placement within the sentence. Always use a comma before directly addressing someone or something in a sentence. Here are some clues to help you decide whether the sentence element is essential: Define vocative comma: the definition of the vocative comma is the comma used in the vocative case when addressing someone or something. If the name is not the last word in the sentence then a comma should follow it also. Word in the following sentence no longer makes sense something in a sentence at the end of pause... We appreciate your hard work, not about the reader, not about the reader not! The greeting John, you need to use a comma before the person ’ s name and the.. Does, however, have a comma before directly addressing someone or in... 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