You often use a person's name when you speak directly to
him/her. This is called using a noun of direct address.
Since the name is extra and not really part of the main idea of the
sentence, it must be
separated from the rest of the sentence with
In each of these example sentences, there is a noun of direct address. If you removed the name (noun) from the sentence, it would still be a complete idea, so commas are needed to set it apart.
Remember, whenever you speak directly to a person and use his/her name, the name must be set apart from the rest of the sentence with commas.
Click on the Chalk board to practice commas with nouns of direct address!
There are many other important and useful comma rules that you should know to improve your communication when you write. Follow the links below to the lessons that introduce them: