2 There was another way, but after what had happened today , she was reluctant to bring it up. In some cases inserting a comma after a prepositional phrase helps to clarify the meaning of the sentence.  Paul from Long Island, NY, called the voice-mail line with this comment: I was wondering if maybe you could do a podcast devoted to the … 1. Tips to Remember. It is important to note that a comma should always be used if the sentence could be misinterpreted otherwise. It is often stated as something like “Put a comma after a prepositional phrase at the beginning of the sentence that has four words or more.” When okay is a throwaway similar to you know and like, surround it with commas. When discussing a number of years not directly related to a date, commas simply divide the clauses of a sentence. Starting a sentence or reply with “so” or “basically” … Thus: Answer: Sentence C is correct. However, the ones we were specifically taught to avoid starting a sentence with are “and” and “but.” The good news is, you can rest easy knowing that there is no true grammar rule that says you can’t ever start a sentence with one of these conjunctions. When okay comes in the middle of the sentence and is asking a valid question, surround it with a pair of dashes with an interrog after it. 181. When the date appears at the beginning of a sentence, you apply the same rules but include a comma after the year: Correct: April 15, 2018, marks our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. When a sentence doesn’t begin with the subject but has instead an introductory word or phrase, a comma must separate the introduction from the rest of the sentence. 3. Is it grammatically correct to put a comma before "and"? Viewed 20k times 7. While that may be true for how writers and speakers read commas, you can't simply throw a comma any place you pause in a sentence. Incorrect: April 15, 2018 marks our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. The emphasis on the word "today" is best effected by other sentences in the context. The sentence adverb isn’t attached to a single adverb, adjective, or verb—it doesn’t need to be physically close to only one particular word—so it usually comes at the beginning of a sentence and is set off by a comma. 17. That comma is a signal that the adverb modifies not the word that follows but the sentence or clause that follows. Ask Question Asked 8 years, 7 months ago. …The question is whether she was — okay? Use a variety of transition words, not the same one. Kim on August 17, 2019 9:47 am. If there is a distinct pause. 350. Put the subject of the sentence after the comma. When a word or phrase forms an introduction to a sentence, you should follow it with a comma, as recommended by Purdue OWL. A poor person with a six-year-old car today has more wealth than a poor person with a six-year-old car did back in 1911, for the simple reason that cars are so much better now. In a newspaper article or book, some publishers are beginning to eliminate these introductory commas in cases like these with short sentences to enhance brevity and, believe it or not, to save money on ink (printing costs). There are two schools of thought on how best to lighten the punctuation of such a sentence. Use a comma after the conjunction when it is followed by an interruption. Do not place a comma after a number simply because it is a number. There are more usages of a comma, for example, how adding or removing comma before and after a name changes the meaning of the sentence — In this Grammar.com article let us understand how to correctly use commas with names. In others it's a grammatical necessity. One day she said, sadly: I am blind and deaf. Good question considering the fact that many of us have been taught that it's wrong to start a sentence with a conjunction. The exception, in my opinion, is with the word “so.” I like a little comma action when I start a sentence with “so.” And this guy at Just Publishing Advice agrees with me:. 3. Some introductory elements don't require a comma, and sometimes the subject of a sentence looks like an introductory element but isn't. That’s the strict version of the rule. Note that some style guides would not add the comma after the word “eggs”. When should a comma be placed after the adverb that starts the sentence? 2 “Hopefully”: Regular adverb or sentence adverb? ... Beginning A Sentence With 'There'? At the beginning of a sentence (followed by a comma), 'thus'can have four different functions. 1. No comma after year: He began his business studies at the beginning of his second semester, in January 2010. Similar to the other causative connectors in this group, it can be used to link reasons with results , with the meaning of "For this reason" or "Because of this/that" . Well is an introductory word that a comma should separate from the rest of the sentence. The rule is that a short prepositional phrase of time or place does not require a comma. 256. Other times, the comma is optional, and there are also times when a comma should not be used. I am just writing my master thesis and I am unsure whether to place a comma in sentences starting with "To". ... Can I still insert a comma after "then" in the second example? When I hear it used it is normally a signal to me not to listen to what a person is saying. 12. Active 5 years, 11 months ago. That works just fine in the first sentence. Starting a sentence with the conjunction “so” is, for me, synonymous with liberal elites. Despite his best efforts, the hero failed. In sentence B, the first comma is correct, but the second well shouldn’t be separated from the rest of the sentence because it’s not an introductory word. Start today. When should you use a comma? 1 Do you need a comma after “hopefully”? Put a comma after the transition word. 1. Today's topic is whether it’s OK to start a sentence with the word hopefully. It is an introductory comma, used to set off an introductory word or phrase (which is "Today" in this case). Apr 11 2015 18:01:38. Sometimes a comma is necessary after an introductory phrase. Rule #2: Use a Comma After an Introductory Word or Phrase. The same rules apply for titles. Comma after To at the beginning of a sentence. Often, the appositive provides additional information about the noun or helps to distinguish it in some way. unless you wrote the sentence like my first sentence where you need to put a comma before but. If you omit the first word, the sentence means exactly the same thing. After introductory verbal phrases, some appositive phrases, or absolute phrases. Don’t use a comma before the conjunction when the second clause can’t stand alone. Commas and Other Numbers. 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. SUMMARY: An introductory adverbial element, is any adverbial word, phrase, or clause that appears at the beginning of a sentence, thus changing the normal subject-verb-object pattern of the English sentence. Does the sentence start your conclusion: Use: finally, in conclusion, in sum, obviously, or another concluding transition. The comma goes between the introduction and the subject and must not separate the subject from the verb. ... Every one has noticed after prolonged fever how thin and weak the patient is, and both the muscular and nervous power throughout the whole body are sadly in want of repair. — working diligently. It is clear than Until recently sets up the timeframe for the entire sentence. Comma with an Appositive. In this article, I explain how to recognize adverbs, and I give examples of the three types of introductory adverbial elements. This sentence requires the comma before the conjunction 'and' because 'I will go to the store' can stand alone as a complete sentence. I was taught that when starting a sentence with "then", you put or omit a comma depending on your intended meaning. An appositive is a word or phrase that refers to the same thing as another noun in the same sentence. you can put a comma before and, but not after and. 150. Seemingly, she's gone to live with another man. But sadly, other people don't think his work is any good. Sadly sentence examples. They deal with the number of words or phrases rather than the relationship between the words. The adverb therefore should be used with caution, as it is often at the center of run-on sentences. Do not use a comma in the following cases: Apparently it's going to rain today. When not to use a comma. There was a time when this sentence would be punctuated exactly this way. It is primarily used to set off unnecessary phrases and introductory clauses and modifiers, delimit elements in a series, and for ease of reading. In sentence A, there is no comma after well. Fortunately, the rules regarding commas after introductory prepositional phrases are fairly straightforward. There are strict rules that govern when you can (and can't) use commas. For more on this, see Rule #8. We use commas while combining multiple phrases in one sentence or writing about different items in a list. Thank you in advance and sorry about being anon. So far we’ve dealt exclusively with the use of commas in dates at the end of sentences. The traditional approach, advocated by William Strunk Jr. in The Elements of Style, removes the comma after the conjunction. Grammar Girl here. The more complicated truth is that it depends on context: if a sentence is very long, or it seems necessary to insert a comma before because in order to make the meaning of the sentence clear, then that construction is acceptable. Today, such a sentence is considered over-punctuated. 2. When should there be a comma when adverbs like well, seemingly, apparently, supposedly, definitely, surely, obviously, conclusively, possibly, indeed, actually, naturally and others start a sentence?. Starting a sentence with "however," however, is discouraged by many careful writers. The phrase Until recently at the beginning of a sentence should not require a comma. To avoid confusion. 2. Therefore is not conventionally considered a conjunction, so it cannot fuse two independent clauses into a single sentence the way conjunctions like and, but, and because can. 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