Knowing when to place a comma after “Good morning” can enhance your writing and ensure your greetings are both grammatically correct and warmly received. Here are ten rules to guide you:
Rule 1: When Directly Addressing Someone
- Correct: “Good morning, John.”
- Incorrect: “Good morning John.”
- Incorrect: “Good Morning; John.”
Explanation: Use a comma when you’re directly greeting someone by name. The comma separates the greeting from the person’s name.
Rule 2: In a Sentence
- Correct: “Good morning, everyone. We have a busy day ahead.”
- Incorrect: “Good morning everyone. We have a busy day ahead.”
- Incorrect: “Good morning; everyone. We have a busy day ahead.”
Explanation: A comma after “Good morning” helps clarify that the greeting applies to the entire statement that follows.
Rule 3: When Followed by a Question
- Correct: “Good morning, how are you today?”
- Incorrect: “Good morning how are you today?”
- Incorrect: “Good morning; how are you today?”
Explanation: A comma separates the greeting from a question for clarity and flow.
Rule 4: Email Greetings
- Correct: “Good morning, Dr. Smith.”
- Incorrect: “Good morning Dr. Smith.”
- Incorrect: “Good Morning; Dr. Smith.”
Explanation: In formal communications like emails, a comma after “Good morning” before the recipient’s name is standard.
Rule 5: Before a Location or Time
- Correct: “Good morning, New York!”
- Incorrect: “Good morning New York!”
- Incorrect: “Good morning; New York!”
- Correct: “Good morning, today at 8 AM we start.”
- Incorrect: “Good morning today at 8 AM we start.”
- Incorrect: “Good morning; today at 8 AM we start.”
Explanation: A comma separates the greeting from a location or time, indicating a pause similar to natural speech.
Read More: Is There a Comma After “Thank You”?
Rule 6: After a Salutation in a Letter
- Correct: “Good morning, and thank you for your letter.”
- Incorrect: “Good morning and thank you for your letter.”
- Incorrect: “Good morning; and thank you for your letter.”
Explanation: In letters, a comma after “Good morning” leads into the main message smoothly.
Rule 7: When Good Morning Starts a Sentence
- Correct: “Good morning, today we’ll discuss our project’s next phase.”
- Incorrect: “Good morning today we’ll discuss our project’s next phase.”
- Incorrect: “Good morning; today we’ll discuss our project’s next phase.”
Explanation: Starting a sentence with “Good morning,” followed by a comma, sets the tone for the information that follows.
Rule 8: When Paired With an Exclamation
- Correct: “Good morning, everyone!”
- Incorrect: “Good morning everyone!”
- Incorrect: “Good morning; everyone!”
Explanation: Even with an exclamation mark, a comma after “Good morning” when addressing a group maintains clarity.
Rule 9: In Informal Texts or Chats
- Correct: “Good morning, are you awake yet?”
- Incorrect: “Good morning are you awake yet?”
- Incorrect: “Good morning; are you awake yet?”
Explanation: Informal does not mean incorrect. A comma keeps the greeting and question distinct.
Rule 10: No Need for a Comma
- Correct: “Good morning! I hope you slept well.”
- Incorrect: “Good morning, I hope you slept well.”
- Incorrect: “Good morning; I hope you slept well.”
Explanation: If “Good morning” is followed by an exclamatory sentence, it’s correct to use an exclamation mark instead of a comma. The next sentence should start anew.
Ethan Richards is currently an English instructor at a university. She has experience in teaching and assessing English tests including TOEFL, IELTS, BULATS, FCE, CAE, and PTEG. With over a decade of teaching expertise, Ethan Richards utilizes his knowledge to develop English lessons for her audience on English Overview.
