Open punctuation is defined as using a colon after the salutation and a comma after the closing.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. It depends on style
• D. Not standard

Answer: (A)

Punctuation styles in letters distinguish greetings and closings. Open punctuation means there is no punctuation after the salutation and no punctuation after the closing. The pairing of a colon after the salutation and a comma after the closing belongs to mixed (or closed) punctuation. So the statement describes mixed punctuation, not open punctuation.

Example:

Open punctuation

Dear Ms. Johnson

[body]

Sincerely

John Doe

Mixed punctuation

Dear Ms. Johnson:

[body]

Sincerely,

John Doe

Some guides acknowledge minor stylistic differences, but the standard distinction is between no punctuation in open punctuation and the colon/comma pairing in mixed punctuation.