Hi,
I had a debate with my brother on whether or not I should use a comma when addressing a person by name as in the example below.
Thanks for coming to the party, Gordon.
Come here, Gordon.
Is this correct usage of the comma?
Thanks
***** NOT A TEACHER *****
Good afternoon, thisguyal:
(1) Some of the top teachers at this site have answered you with outstanding replies.
(2) But I just wanted to make sure that you understood WHY the comma is standard in written English.
(3) The technical term is "direct address."
(a) It means calling someone by his/her name.
(b) Teachers expect you to use a comma because it is extra and unnecessary information.
(i) As you know, commas are used to indicate that the words are not an essential part of the sentence and can be erased without harming the basic meaning of the sentence.
(a) Basic sentence: Thanks for coming to the party.
Gordon, thanks for coming to the party.
Thanks, Gordon, for coming to the party.
Thanks for coming to the party, Gordon.
Have a nice day, thisguyal!