Which sentence correctly uses an introductory phrase comma after 'After the premiere'?

• A. After the premiere the audience waited for the credits.
• B. After the premiere, the audience waited for the credits.
• C. After the premiere, the audience waited, for the credits.
• D. After the premiere, the audience waited for the credits.

Answer: (D)

When a sentence starts with an introductory phrase like “After the premiere,” you pause briefly and set it off with a comma before continuing with the main clause. This helps readers see the sentence structure clearly and prevents misreading the opening from running into the rest of the idea.

The best sentence uses the comma right after the introductory phrase and then keeps the main clause clean: “After the premiere, the audience waited for the credits.” This punctuation makes the opening phrase clearly separate from the main action, so “the audience waited for the credits” reads smoothly as the main idea.

Avoid omitting the comma after the introductory phrase, which can blur where the opening ends. Also avoid adding an unnecessary comma later in the sentence, which disrupts the natural flow.