Grandma comes to see your new house. She has to leave after a little while, so you say, “Thanks for the visit, Grandma!” Was that even appropriate to say?
“Thanks for the visit” is correct to use in casual conversation as a short way of saying “I offer you my thanks for coming to visit” or “I thank you for taking the time to visit.” You can also use it as a nice way of telling someone that it’s time for them to leave if you use it in the right context.
Still, while it is good to use this as a phrase of gratitude, you should avoid using it in highly formal settings. Read on to see how to use “Thanks for the visit” and similar expressions of gratitude in casual and formal situations.
What Does “Thanks for the Visit” Mean?
When we say “Thanks for the visit,” we express our gratitude for someone coming to see us. In casual conversation, it is a quick way to say, “Thank you for coming to visit.” Alternatively, we can use this as a polite way to hint that the visit needs to come to an end.
For example, let’s say you have a housewarming party with family and friends. As people leave, “Thanks for the visit” is appropriate because you appreciate the time they spent with you.
On the other hand, say you have a friend or family member who just loves to hang out, but you really have other things to do, or it’s late. “Well, thanks for the visit” is a polite way to indicate that it’s time for the visit to end. Of course, you are still being nice, but hopefully, they get the subtle hint.
As a noun, a visit is a short stay or a brief residence as a guest. As a verb, to “visit” someone is typically an act of friendship or courtesy where you go to see them for a short period (source). We would refer to the person visiting as a guest or visitor.
“Visit” comes from the Latin “visitare,” which literally means to go to see (source). “Visit” usually has positive connotations, implying the visitor comes to see the person to offer comfort or some benefit.
However, in certain contexts, “visit” in the sense of “come upon” can have the negative meaning of “afflict” or “impose,” as in a disease or some other disaster. However, this is mainly when using “visit” as a verb and not as a noun.
Is It Grammatically Correct to Say “Thanks for the Visit”?
While “Thanks for the visit” is grammatically incomplete as a sentence fragment with no subject or verb, it still functions grammatically since the listener can infer the subject and verb. Technically, “Thanks for the visit” is a minor or irregular sentence.
A minor sentence is grammatically incomplete, but we still understand its meaning. We can use minor sentences for dramatic effect in conversation to emphasize points and show emotions, usually surprise (source).
A similar, complete sentence would be, “I offer my thanks to you for the visit.” “Thanks” is actually a plural noun, so we must add a subject (I) and verb (offer) to complete the sentence (source).
“Thanks” is the direct object of the verb “offer” since it is the thing someone is offering. “For” is a preposition and function word indicating the purpose for the thanks. Finally, the noun “visit” serves as the object of the preposition and is the thing the subject is thankful for.
How Do You Use “Thanks for the Visit”?
We use “Thanks for the visit” as a minor sentence when directly interacting with someone in speech or writing. Alternatively, we can use it as part of a full sentence by adding a subject and verb or attaching it to an independent clause using a conjunction.
We can also tag on the name of the individual we’re thanking for the visit after a comma.
When Can You Use “Thanks for the Visit”?
You can say “Thanks for the visit” when someone arrives to see you, as they’re going to leave after visiting you, or when you’re giving them a polite hint that it’s time for them to leave. You can also write this on a card, email, or in a letter after a visit.
The best instances are:
When someone comes for a scheduled visit.
- Thanks for the visit. I appreciate you coming.
You knew the person was coming, so thanking them when they came in is appropriate and thoughtful.
When someone is leaving.
- Thanks for the visit! It was fun.
As they leave, it is polite to say “Thanks.” Adding “it was fun” sends your visitors home appreciated.
When trying to politely tell someone to leave without being rude.
- Thanks for the visit, but I have an appointment.
You can use the last scenario in situations involving unwanted visitors, such as salespeople. If you are polite but quick, they usually get the point.
In What Context Can You Use “Thanks for the Visit”?
We use “Thanks for the visit” and similar phrases with close family and friends in comfortable conversations and writing. It is also a good way to express that it’s time for someone to leave politely.
For instance, after a housewarming party, saying “Thanks for the visit” to everyone is short and sweet but grateful. Also, when you write a thank-you card, it is an acceptable phrase as long as you are close to the person or group.
Additionally, saying “Thanks for the visit” to someone who came to see you in the hospital is appropriate. In contrast, saying it to a coworker who came to assist you is probably not the best choice.
Saying “Thanks for the visit” to your grandma might be tricky as it might come across as too short and rude to say to an elder. However, if you and grandma have a close relationship, this could be appropriate.
Examples
Let’s take a look at when Grandma comes to see the new house:
- Thanks for the visit, Grandma!
If you want to be more polite and formal to her, using “Thank you for the visit, Grandma!” or “Thank you for visiting me, Grandma!” is more suitable.
With close friends, you are comfortable enough that this phrase won’t be a big deal. But, what about friends of friends that you just met? In that case, it may be better to use “Thank you for the visit” until you develop a closer relationship.
Now, your best friend has been at your house for a while. You are getting tired, so “Thanks for the visit” is a good way to say, “It’s time to go.” However, you can add more to it to make it more obvious.
- Thanks for the visit, but I have to get up for work in the morning.
With this addition, using the conjunction “but,” I emphasize that I need to go to work the next day, so it helps get more to the point.
Using “Thanks for the Visit” in a Full Sentence
To use “Thanks for the visit” in a full sentence, we can add a subject and a verb, such as “I offer my thanks for the visit.” You can also add more context using a conjunction, as in “We had a great time, so thanks for the visit.”
- I offer my thanks for the visit.
“I” becomes the subject, and “offer” is the verb. “Thanks” becomes the direct object/noun, and “for the visit” is still a prepositional phrase. “I offer thanks” seems a little confusing, so adding the possessive pronoun “my” as an adjective before “thanks” is more appropriate.
- We had a great time, so thanks for the visit.
In this case, “We” is the subject, and the verb is “had.” The conjunction “so” indicates that what came before is a reason for their gratitude: “We had a great time.”
When Not to Use “Thanks for the Visit”
Since “Thanks for the visit” is a more casual, abbreviated statement, it’s best to avoid using it in very formal settings or in academic writing. It might come across as rude, abrupt, or sarcastic.
Coworker: I brought over the paperwork that you need to sign.
You: Thanks for the visit!
The coworker might see this as rude and unprofessional. In this situation, it would be better to say “Thank you” and let them know that you’ll sign the paperwork once you have an opportunity. They’re asking you to perform a work-related task for them, so this is not intended as a pleasant visit but an official one.
Even if you believe they’ve visited some horrible thing upon you by asking you to sign the paperwork, that would actually be a visitation and not a visit (source).
Similarly, you would not want to say this to a medical professional responsible for your well-being — it could come across as disrespectful and ungrateful. For example, consider the following interaction with a doctor.
Doctor: The results look good! You are going home tomorrow.
You: Thanks for the visit!
If you were close friends with the doctor, perhaps you could say “Thanks for the visit, Doc!” or even “Thanks, Doc!” in good humor. Otherwise, we would strongly advise against this.
What Can You Use Instead of “Thanks for the Visit”?
While “Thanks for the visit” is decent, there are quite a few other phrases and minor sentences you can use to express gratitude. For instance, you could say “Thanks for seeing me” or “Thanks for stopping by” (source).
Casual:
- Thanks for visiting.
- Thanks for stopping by.
- Thanks for dropping by.
- Thanks for dropping in.
- Thanks for coming to see me.
- Thanks for coming over.
More Formal:
- Thank you for coming.
- Thank you for visiting.
Expressions of Gratitude as Minor Sentences
Since the speaker and listener typically understand the subject, verb, and direct object, many expressions of gratitude take the form of minor sentences. Again, a minor or irregular sentence is one that lacks either a subject or verb or both.
Minor sentences can take the form of aphorisms, exclamations, interjections, or imperatives. “Thanks for the visit” is an abbreviated statement meaning “ I offer my thanks for your visit.”
Interestingly, while “Thanks for the visit” lacks a verb, “Thank you for the visit” does not since “thank” is the verb. Numerous expressions of gratitude as minor sentences use either “Thanks” or “Thank you.”
Make sure to check out “Is It Correct to Say ‘Thanks for Your Patronage’?” “Is It Correct to Say ‘Thanks a Million’?” and “Is It Correct to Say, ‘Thank You Very Much’?” for further examples.
Phrases and Clauses
Phrases and clauses are important sentence elements. The main difference between them is a phrase lacks a subject and verb, while a clause has both. A phrase can be a component of a clause.
A minor sentence is a type of phrase since it is a collection of words that work as a conceptual unit, although phrases are typically short. Also, the meaning of a minor sentence is typically clearer than a phase since a minor sentence carries the intonation of a complete sentence.
For example, “the visit” would be a noun phrase, which is a phrase containing a noun, “visit,” and a noun modifier, the definite article “the.” This noun phrase is also part of a longer prepositional phrase, “for the visit,” beginning with the preposition “for.”
Clauses have a subject and a verb. Independent clauses can form parts of larger sentences, or they can stand alone. Meanwhile, dependent clauses rely on the main clause for their meaning (source).
This article was written for strategiesforparents.com.
A compound sentence connects two independent clauses, while complex and conditional sentences require a dependent clause and at least one independent clause.
- Compound sentence: He brought over some milk, so we thanked him for the visit.
- Complex sentence: Since he brought over some milk, we thanked him for the visit.
- Conditional sentence: If he comes over, you should thank him for the visit.
Final Thoughts
When someone takes the time to visit you, “Thanks for the visit” is a friendly and short way of emphasizing gratitude. When your lovely aunt is overstaying her welcome, it is a polite way to say, “Well, it’s about time to end this visit.” Either way, you have another fun phrase for your English vocabulary.