The salutation “Dear ” is used when writing to someone you don’t know very well, or someone with whom you have trouble establishing a relationship. The salutation can also be used when writing to someone you don’t have a proper relationship with, but you still want to acknowledge them as an acquaintance or friend. In this case, you use the salutation “Dear ” followed by a comma and then the person’s first name or last name.
In the example below, the writer doesn’t know the person they are writing to very well and they also don’t have a formal relationship with them. However, they still want to show respect and humility by using the salutation “Dear ” before their name. This is why they use the salutation “Dear ” followed by a comma and then their first name:
“Dear Jane,
I want to express my remorse for not calling you sooner. I wanted to but my schedule didn’t allow me to. Now that I have the opportunity, I feel it’s only right to apologize and offer my help. I hope you’ll accept my apology and grant me the chance to make it up to you. I trust you’ll consider my offer of help and hopefully it’ll be enough to solve your problem. If it isn’t, then I hope you’ll let me know so that I can rectify my mistake. You don’t need to think about what to say in your response. I’d like to request that you please don’t hesitate to accept my apology. I’m truly sorry for the inconvenience this has caused you. Accept my apology and allow me to prove to you that I am a trustworthy person. Sincerely,
”
In the example below, the writer is expressing humility and friendship toward their acquaintance. They are also using the salutation “Dear ” to start their letter because they don’t know the person they are writing to that well: