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Subject:Re: Punctuation (was: I got thrown for a loop.) From:"Bonnie Granat" <bgranat -at- editors-writers -dot- info> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 14 Oct 2003 19:05:59 -0400
From: "Jean Hollis Weber" <jean -at- jeanweber -dot- com>
>
> Bonnie Granat wrote,
> >... the greeting is us[u]ally mispunctuated (missing a comma after
> >"Hello." ...
>
Ahem.
> David Neeley commented,
> >As for the comma after "Hello"--I think that is optional in this use today.
>
> I agree with David: it's a matter of style. _I_ certainly don't use a comma
> after "Hello", especially when "Hello" is followed by someone's name, but I
> don't think using the comma in that situation is incorrect punctuation.
> (Note use of UK punctuation above, with the comma after the closing
> quotation marks; that's a matter of style, too.)
>
> I differentiate between punctuation that is essential or at least very
> important to convey the intended meaning and punctuation that is a
> stylistic preference that is not needed to convey the intended meaning. A
> comma after "Hello" definitely falls in the second category.
>
> More about my views on punctuation and grammar are in my article "Escape
> from the grammar trap",
>http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/magazine/writing/grammartrap.html.
>
As I understand it, when you're addressing someone, you use a comma, as in,
"Good morning, dear!" I would never write, "Good morning dear!" or "See you
later honey." How is "Hell, Jean" different?
___________________________
Bonnie Granat
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