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In business letters and printed speeches, a colon follows the salutation:
In personal letters, the colon is usually replaced by a comma:
The colon is used to separate titles from subtitles. It is followed by a single space:
In references to books, plays, etc., colons separate chapter and verse, volume and page and act and scene, with no space on either side of the colon:
Location and name of publisher are also separated by a colon. The colon is followed by a single space:
See Chapter 9 Reference Matter for further information on the use of the colon in reference matter.
See Chapter 5 Numerical Expressions for uses of the colon with numerical expressions.
The salutation will vary depending upon the person addressed and the nature of the letter. The following are some appropriate salutations for various circumstances:
If the person’s name or title is not known, the expression To whom it may concern may also be used. It is not recommended that Mr., Mrs. or Ms. be used with a title as a salutation, as in "Mr. Premier."
The salutation begins at the left margin. For capitalization in a salutation, see 4.35 The salutation and complimentary close; for punctuation, see 7.27 The Colon, Miscellaneous.
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