In geographical names with two or more elements, you should use a comma after … When an adverbial phrase begins a sentence, it’s often followed by a comma but it doesn’t have to be, especially if it’s short. The rule today that many people get confused about is the rule about putting a comma after a prepositional phrase at the beginning of the sentence. If, however, the subordinating conjunction (and its dependent clause) come at the beginning of a sentence, a comma must be used after … In the “olden” days, the rule was to put a comma after ANY element that came at the beginning of the sentence. The comma might be the most troublesome punctuation mark. In fact, many language experts have come around on starting a sentence with hopefully . ü Where … The first sentence … When placed after the main clause, also called the independent clause, neither subordinating conjunctions nor subordinate clauses get commas before them. It depends! So that begins a sentence or clause does not take a comma unless a parenthetical phrase or clause follows, and even then it’s sometimes optional: So, in light of his threats, I had to hide the chocolate… We use a comma after some prepositional phrases at the beginning of a sentence but not after others. So far we’ve dealt exclusively with the use of commas in dates at the end of sentences. Lucius Caesar died at Massilia in 2 CE. Comma. However, she expects to finish her novel by summer. As a rule of thumb, if the phrase is longer than about four … … A post (Comma after "of course" at the beginning of a sentence?) If you omit these words, the sentence still means the same thing. The … ; two years later, Gaius Caesar succumbed to a wound he … When the date appears at the beginning of a sentence, you apply the same rules but include a comma after … Use a variety of transition words, not the same one. In formal writing, in contrast to a casual style, a so that begins a sentence is not followed by a comma. For example:(introductory dependent clause, main clause)(introductory dependent clause, main clause) Prepositional phrases of five or more words require a comma: Beneath the dusty redwood table, the cat crouched with murderous anticipation. Use commas to offset appositives from the rest of the sentence. Using "However" as a Relative Adverb Use it to mean "regardless of how," or "in whatever way." Should I use a comma between a city and a country/a city and a state? Use a comma after prepositional … From a comma perspective you only need to … The earliest temple must have been erected soon after the foundation of the city, while the later building which superseded it dates from shortly after 600 B.C. Okay, let me try to break it down. Typical transition words that require commas before and after … I am hopeful that starting a sentence with hopefully will become more acceptable in the future. gives a clear rule/suggestion about the usage of comma after the transition words/phrases at the beginning of a sentence.... one should use commas after their transition word or phrase that starts a new sentence.. Wait—not what you wanted to hear? The punctuation marks serve to indicate how the sentence is to be read aloud. Appositives act as synonyms for a … Example: Finally, I went to the beach. By definition, a transition word creates context that links to the preceding sentence. So when do you use a comma and when don’t you? If a prepositional phrases contains four or fewer words, usually no comma is needed as in the following sentence: On the table a bottle of champagne rested, conserving its energy for the upcoming festivities. It’s common to use … As soon as comes at the beginning of a subordinate clause. Use a comma to separate two independent clauses joined by a conjunction. Use commas after introductory words. As such, the … Ack! 1. The simplest rule-of-thumb, one that will rarely lead you wrong, is always to avoid comma after "So" at the start of a sentence, immediately after a semicolon, or immediately after a comma. When they come at the end of a sentence, they should be preceded by a comma. Sorry. This is largely due to the many different ways the comma is used. Other introductory words you might be familiar with include “furthermore” and “suddenly.” You should not go crazy tossing commas after these conjunctions when you use them at the start of the sentence. “Now that I’m able to … We can begin our sentence with either the subordinate clause or the main clause – the meaning is the same. Tips to Remember. Introductory Adverbs: So, should you put a comma after introductory words such as now, today, etc.? 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