Which sentence uses correct comma placement?

• A. After the procedure, the patient was stabilized.
• B. After the procedure the patient was stabilized.
• C. After the procedure the patient was stabilized?
• D. After the procedure, the patient was stabilized?

Answer: (A)

When a sentence starts with an introductory phrase, you usually place a comma after that phrase to separate it from the main clause. Here, “After the procedure” sets up when something happened, and a comma signals the pause before the main idea that follows: “the patient was stabilized.” This makes the sentence clear and easy to read as a straightforward statement.

The version with the comma after the introductory phrase is the proper one because it follows this rule and ends with a period, keeping the sentence as a declarative statement. Without the comma, the sentence runs together and can read more sloppily, which can momentarily slow the reader. A version that ends with a question mark changes the tone to a question, which doesn’t fit a straightforward report of stabilization. The other variant also uses a question mark where a period belongs, or simply omits the necessary pause after the introductory phrase, both of which reduce clarity.