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Piano scarf 679 Posted 6 years ago
Grammar

Should there be a comma after "now" if it occurs at the beginning of a sentence?

"It was a wise decision to install the engine. Now, every day the engine pumps hundreds of thousands of liters of water to the city's countless households."


I'm debating if I need the comma after "Now". I found this post online ( https://www.quora.com/Is-it-neccesary-to-add-a-comma-after-the-word-now ), but this feels like an edge case. Here, "now" relates to time, so a comma should be added. But the final test listed in the quora post says that if "now" is removed and the line still makes sense, then a comma should be required. So... which one does this example fall into?

  

Top answer

I see your problem, and I think you are right to wonder. You are using "now" as an introductory adverb in its literal sense. I think that your comma is right, and it caused me no difficulty in reading.

  • I see your problem, and I think you are right to wonder.
  • You are using "now" as an introductory adverb in its literal sense.
  • I think that your comma is right, and it caused me no difficulty in reading.
  • It would have caused difficulty if it was missing.
  • Still, writing is an artificial process by which we try to render speech.
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1 Answers
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I see your problem, and I think you are right to wonder. You are using "now" as an introductory adverb in its literal sense. I think that your comma is right, and it caused me no difficulty in reading. It would have caused difficulty if it was missing. Still, writing is an artificial process by which we try to render speech. Commas are not words, and conundrums do arise. When they do, it is of

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