punctuation - Really nice, Mat


I see a lot of people saying things such as



Nice work, Nick



Or



Thanks, Mat



Is the comma really needed? I'm not 100% sure because my spelling and grammar is not great, but I think it reads very strange.



Answer



Yes, it is. The name is technically an interjection and must be separated by commas. Whether it is at the beginning of the sentence or the end, it must be separated off.


Another reason is because commas save lives.



It's time to eat Mat.



Here, we're having fried Mat wrapped in noodles for supper.



It's time to eat, Mat.



Here, we're having supper with Mat. It can make a large difference in the meaning.


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