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THE COMMA
Use a comma to separate an introductory phrase from the subject
As with sentence connectors, any introductory phrases that hinder the reader from immediately
seeing the subject are marked off by a comma to show the reader where the
subject begins. Typically, these groups of words include prepositional phrases
(those that begin with a preposition of time, place, manner) or infinitive phrases
(those that begin with an To + verb).
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Introductory prepositional phrases (In, On, At, Of, With, For)
In firms of all sizes, a basic aim of management accounting routines is to control vital areas and to monitor performance.
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Introductory infinitive phrases (To analyse)
To examine these issues, we adopt transaction cost economics (TCE) as our basic frame of reference.
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Beware! no comma is needed when the phrase comes after the subject.
Compare the two examples below.
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Before subject requires comma
In Figure 10, the difference between tamper-proofing and other techniques is characterized.
To send data, IR remote controls use a sequence of light bursts with different delays.
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After subject no comma necessary
The difference between tamper-proofing and other techniques is characterized Ø in Figure 10.
IR remote controls use a sequence of light bursts with different delays Ø to send data.
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