Is the second comma ungrammatical?

Question

Usually, we see the following sentence:

Hello Eric, could you please tell me why you are here?

But I am wondering if this one is ok too:

Hello, Eric, could you please tell me why you are here?

Why is it ungrammatical or grammatical? Could you explain?

DrMoishe Pippik · Accepted Answer · 2019-03-17 01:04:02Z

3

There is a pause in direct address, so, Hello, Eric, is correct. The example from this reference makes this quite clear:

"Let's eat, grandpa," is not the same as "Let's eat grandpa." [Sorry if that's in bad taste.]

answered Mar 17, 2019 at 1:04

DrMoishe Pippik

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A noun used in direct address should be set off by commas as a structural matter, whether it spoken with a pause or not. It often is, but the pause is not what requires the comma.
– David Siegel
Mar 17, 2019 at 4:51
The comma before Eric is not needed, but it does represent an additional pause, which might indicate that Eric didn't respond immediately to the 'hello'.
– amI
Mar 17, 2019 at 10:02

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