How should I address someone formally?
Should I use the last name, the first name, or both? For example:
"Hello Mr. Smith",
"Hello Mr. James" or
"Hello Mr. James Smith"
Dear Mr. Smith is the best way to go. That is, Dear Mr. Last Name.
If you want to use "hello," which is less formal than "dear," you need a comma after the "hello." Hello, Mr. Smith. Why is this necessary? Because Mr. Smith is a vocative.
This video is great: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_9_YSk-XGQ.
I like your name :p
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Use "Hello, Mr. Smith." We always use the surname with Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss, not the first name. "Hello, Mr. James" makes me think that James is the surname.
"Hello, Mr. James Smith" is awkward and overly-formal. You'll never use this phrase.
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Mr. Smith or Mr.James Smith is correct, because this is formal way of talking. If you want to call him/her by first name, use Hello, or Hi, Hey....instead!