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Dera sir/madam, followed by a capital?

  • 13-01-2011 10:35AM
    #1
    enda1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,165 ✭✭✭


    So in a formal letter
    Dear Sir,

    many thanks for contacting...

    or
    Dear Sir,

    Many thanks for contacting...

    Which is correct? I was led to believe the first is correct but now someone has corrected me, saying its the second one.

    Anyone?


Comments

  • #2
    nompere
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,683 ✭✭✭nompere


    enda1 wrote: »
    So in a formal letter



    or


    Which is correct? I was led to believe the first is correct but now someone has corrected me, saying its the second one.

    Anyone?

    The second, beyond any shadow of a doubt.


  • #3
    looksee
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 30,334 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    Yes, definitely the second, but it doesn't make any sense does it? Never thought of that before!


  • #4
    Permabear
    Closed Accounts Posts: 39,019 ✭✭✭✭Permabear


    This post has been deleted.


  • #5
    looksee
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 30,334 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    donegalfella wrote: »
    This post has been deleted.

    True, but I still say it does not make any sense that a new sentence can follow a comma.


  • #6
    Yakuza
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,130 ✭✭✭Yakuza


    I think of it as follows: A formal letter consists of a salutation (which ends in a comma, by tradition) followed by one or more paragraphs and a closing / sign-off; each paragraph needs a capital letter at the start.

    Just use a sentence beginning with "I" (or some other proper noun) after the salutation so you don't feel odd using a capital :)


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  • #7
    enda1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,165 ✭✭✭enda1


    Yakuza wrote: »
    snip
    Just use a sentence beginning with "I" (or some other proper noun) after the salutation so you don't feel odd using a capital :)

    That's what I've started doing to stop my brain rejecting me letters.

    Its good to get a "definitive" answer on this.

    Thanks all.


  • #8
    Earthhorse
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,724 ✭✭✭✭Earthhorse


    looksee wrote: »
    True, but I still say it does not make any sense that a new sentence can follow a comma.

    Why doesn't it make any sense?


  • #9
    looksee
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 30,334 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    Earthhorse wrote: »
    Why doesn't it make any sense?

    Because 'Dear Sir' isn't a sentence, its a phrase, and if you follow a phrase with a comma there must be more words to make a sentence, which can legitimately followed by a full stop. A phrase with a comma after it, followed by a new sentence does not exist anywhere else in grammar.


  • #10
    Permabear
    Closed Accounts Posts: 39,019 ✭✭✭✭Permabear


    This post has been deleted.


  • #11
    looksee
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 30,334 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    I have no problems with the procedure of Dear Sir, Further to your etc, I am just saying its an odd format. I'm not starting a campaign to change it! :D

    Just because it is a tradition/style/practise doesn't make it make sense.


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  • #12
    Permabear
    Closed Accounts Posts: 39,019 ✭✭✭✭Permabear


    This post has been deleted.


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