COMMA (,), COLON (:), OR SEMICOLON (;) WITH GREETINGS

Dear Ms. Jenny Gardner;

What do you think? Is a semicolon correct after the greeting? How about a comma or a colon?

The semicolon is dead wrong. It is NEVER correct after a greeting. Never in a letter and never in an email.

Here’s the correct punctuation:

• a comma for a personal letter

• a colon for a business letter

• either punctuation mark in an email. (The colon is formal.)

But remember, “Dear” isn’t required in email, even when writing to a stranger. Try one of these two openings if you want to sound professional without using “Dear”:

• Hello, Ms. Juliar Fadillah

• Ms. Juliar Fadillah, I found your blog, and . . .

If you want to sound friendly with a stranger, try these:

• Hi, Julie.

• Hi Julie, (English teachers don’t like this choice. They want a comma between ‘Hi’ and the name.)

• Hello, Julie.

• Greetings, Julie.

• Julie, thanks for the . . .

Use a colon in a business letter:

Dear Mr. X:

This is a typical business letter. Although there are many different styles.

If you know the person and typically address them by their first name, it is acceptable to use only the first name in the salutation, for example, Dear Lucy: . In all other cases; however, use the personal title and full name followed by a colon. Leave one line blank after the salutation.

The Oxford Comma

Commas can save lives!

A: What do you like?

B: I like cooking, my family, and my pets.

Use comma(s) to separate items/things in a list.

• I bought a pound of cheese, a kilo of flour, a gallon of milk, and a pack of cigarette.

• He went out with Michelle, Julie, and me.

The Oxford Comma

When the last comma in a series comes before “and” or “or”, it is known as the Oxford comma. The omission of the Oxford comma can sometimes lead to misunderstandings.

Example:

I had eggs, toast and orange juice.

— Omitting a comma before and gives the idea that toast and orange juice represents one dish (you poured the orange juice on top of the toast).

I had eggs, toast, and orange juice.

— Adding a comma after toast makes it clear that the toast and the orange juice are two separate dishes. In cases like this, clarity demands the Oxford comma.