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A Person’s Name Demands a Comma When Spoken TO

Speaking TO a person

In written conversation, identify the person (or penguin) spoken TO by setting off their name with commas.

In written conversation, to identify the person spoken to, set their name off with commas.

Commas identify the person being addressed.

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In normal conversation, people often identify the person they are talking TO. The name is explanatory, letting everyone know which specific person is being addressed. As explanatory, it should be set off with commas.

When speaking about a person, only use a comma for another grammatical reason.

Do not use commas if the person is being spoken ABOUT.

The key to this use of commas is to compare these two sentences:

  • (To) Let’s eat, Grandma.
    • (Grandma has not yet come to the table, so a grandchild is sent to invite her to join the others.)
  • (About) Let’s eat Grandma.
    • (The Big Bad Wolf has been joined by the Bigger Badder Wolf.)

Obviously, we don’t want to eat Grandma (unless we’re the Big Bad Wolf), so put the comma before “Grandma.”

“Name” includes a title, like “Mom,” “sergeant,” “miss” or “darling.”

The comma follows the reference to the person.

Examples:

  • “George, did you see the comet last night?”
    • (to George, comma)
  • “George saw the comet last night.”
    • (speaking about George, no comma)

  • “General Thompson, when did the battle begin?”
    • (to General Thompson, comma)
  • “General Thompson was in the field when the battle began.”
    • (about General Thompson, no comma)

  • “Grandma, let’s eat in the dining room.”
    • (to Grandma, comma)
  • “Grandma eats in the dining room.”
    • (about Grandma, no comma)

Surround the reference to the person with commas (one before the space before the name, one after the name).

Examples:

  • “Who was with you, George, when you saw the comet last night?”
    • (speaking to George, commas before and after “George”)
  • “Were you with George when you saw the comet last night?”
    • (speaking about George, no commas)

  • “I saw you at the front, General Thompson, when the battle began.”
    • (speaking to General Thompson, commas before and after “General Thompson”)
  • “I saw General Thompson at the front when the battle began.”
    • (speaking about General Thompson, no commas)

  • “Let’s eat, Grandma, in the dining room.”
    • (speaking to Grandma, commas before and after “Gramma”)
  • “Let’s eat Grandma in the dining room.”
    • (speaking about Grandma, no commas. CANNIBALISM!!)

The comma goes before the reference to the person (before the space before the name).

  • “Who was with you when you saw the comet last night, George?”
    • (speaking to the person, comma before “George”)
  • “At the comet sighting last night, were you with George?”
    • (speaking about the person, no comma)

  • “I saw you at the front when the battle began, General Thompson.”
    • (speaking to the general, comma before “General Thompson”)
  • “When the battle began, who was with General Thompson?”
    • (speaking about the general, no comma)

  • “Let’s eat in the dining room, Gramma.”
    • (speaking to Gramma, comma before “Gramma”)
  • “Let’s eat in the dining room with Gramma.”
    • (speaking about Gramma, no comma)

Credit: Photo by 66 north on Unsplash


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