Commas For Direct Address - Grammar Monster

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Commas for Direct Address

Using Commas for Direct Address

home▸sitemap▸common errors ▸commas for direct address When addressing a person or thing directly, the name used must be offset with a comma (or two commas if it's mid-sentence). For example:

Jackie, are you leaving so soon?
I suspect, Michael, that you know the answer.

More about Commas for Direct Address

When addressing someone directly, writers should separate the name being used (e.g., "John," "Mary," "my darling," "you little rascal," "my son") from rest of the sentence with a comma (or two commas if the name is mid-sentence).

The Grammar

The person or thing being addressed is said to be in the vocative case.

Examples of Commas Used for Direct Address

In each example below, the person or thing being addressed directly (i.e., the thing in the vocative case) is shaded:

Alan, put your hand up if you do not understand.
Where do you think you are going, you little devil?
Absolutely, John, get your skates on.

Commas with "Hi," "Hello," and "Dear"

Commas should be used as follows at the start of correspondence such as letters and emails:

Dear John, Thank you for your support. Blah blah... (Here, "Dear John" is in the vocative case.)

Hi, John, Thank you for your support. Blah blah... (Here, "John" is in the vocative case.)

Hello, John, Thank you for your support. Blah blah... (Here, "John" is in the vocative case.)

Read more about using commas with the vocative case. author logo

This page was written by Craig Shrives.

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Using commas (a summary) Our big commas test What is the vocative case? Commas after a sentence introductions Commas after a transitional phrase Commas after interjections (yes, no, indeed) Commas before conjunctions (and, or, but) Commas for parenthesis Commas in lists Commas with a long subject Commas with numbers Commas with quotation (speech) marks