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Twistedthistle Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

Comma after intoductory "then"

HI everyone, I was wondering if i could get a definitive (or as close to definitive as possible) answer to the question of whether to put a comma after "then" when it starts a sentence.

First, listen to the CD. Then answer the questions.

OR

First, listen to the CD. Then, answer the questions.

I've looked online and there doesn't seem to a be consensus. Some sites say that all sequence words, including "then" must be followed by a comma, while others say that all sequence words, except for "then" take a comma. Could someone give me an answer with a respected source (a la CMS) so that i can have it in my corner when someone says "OOOOO you can't use a comma there" etc.
Thanks in Advance Emotion: smile
TT
  

Top answer

). ) The way I see it, this adds up to a mandatory comma after "then" in your sentence, to avoid misreading it as an adverb for "answer", not that that is very likely, but it does no harm. , which unquestionably take a comma.

— Enoon

  • ).
  • ) The way I see it, this adds up to a mandatory comma after "then" in your sentence, to avoid misreading it as an adverb for "answer", not that that is very likely, but it does no harm.
  • , which unquestionably take a comma.
  • I have never heard of an exception for "then".
  • I'd like to demolish hear the rationale.
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1 Answers
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The Chicago Manual of Style says that introductory phrases of one or two words do not require a comma except to avoid misreading (Before eating, the committee discussed ....). It further says when the introductory phrase is an adverb immediately before its verb, the comma is not used: (Out of the car stepped the woman we had been looking for.)

The way I see it, this adds up to a ma
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