Commas & Introductory Phrases

A comma is a punctuation mark (,) used to indicate a pause between parts of a sentence or to separate items in a list.

You should use a comma after an introductory phrase to separate it from the main clause of the sentence.

An introductory phrase is a group of words that provides context or background information for the main part of the sentence.

"After dinner, we went for a walk."

"Since I slept in, I had to rush." is correct because it uses a comma after the introductory phrase.

Commas help clarify meaning by indicating pauses, separating items, and organizing information.

It is unnecessary to use a comma when the sentence is short and clear without it, such as "Running is my favorite hobby."

The comma should be placed after "Grandma": "Grandma, will you buy me some ice cream?"

A common mistake is forgetting to place a comma after the introductory phrase, which can lead to confusion.

In a list, commas are used to separate items, except before the conjunction (and, or) in a simple list.