I am always seeing people insert a comma after "Thanks" or "Thank you" at the end of an e-mail, letter, etc.

Example:

Please schedule more help for next week's project.
Blah blah blah ...

Thanks,

Peter

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Shouldn't it be "Thanks" or "Thank you" with a period (not a comma) following each. I believe that these are not true complimentary closings but are more of elliptical sentences; thus, a period follows "Thanks" and "Thank you." A true complimentary closing would be "Sincerely," "Very truly yours," and so on. These would need commas after them.

Please schedule more help for next week's project.
Blah blah blah ...

Thanks.

Peter

This message has been edited. Last edited by: homerfarmsby,

I think this is generally a style issue, but aside from that, I don't see "thanks" or "thank you" any different from "sincerely" or "truly yours." I almost always put a comma, not a period, after "thanks." Some people (e.g., the British people) might not use any punctuation at all.

Hello, all:

I think 'thanks' or 'thank you' is different from the expressions 'best, 'sincerely yours, respectfully,' etc. Those expressions mean you are sending the best, that you are mine sincerely, or I am being respectful.

On the other hand, with 'thanks' or 'thank you' as the closing before your name, with a comma, you are really saying, 'Thanks, Homerfarmsby' or 'Thank you, Homerfarmsby.' This is not right.

Use thank you in a short sentence. Then write the close -- with a comma -- and then your name.

Write a very short sentence with 'thank you':
'Thank you for your attention,' for example, or 'Thanks a lot.'

Then, on a separate line, put the closing: 'Sincerely yours, Best, Sincerely, Warmly, etc.

The end would look like this:

Thank you for any help you can give me.

Very truly yours,

Homerfarmsby