Using commas to set off introductory phrases

introductory words that appear at the beginning of a sentence are set off from what follows by
commas. If you omit these words, the sentence still has the same meaning. Common introductory
words include yes, no, well, oh, and okay.
Example :

Yes, you are allowed to chew gums during class, but dont complain to me if you break a
tooth.
No, you are not allowed to write the exam in blood as a protest against the amount of
studying you need to do in order to pass this course.
Well, you may consider moving on to another topic if you have exhausted the creative
possibilities of My Favorite Lightbulb.
Oh, I didnt know that you needed your intestines today.

Here is also the rule on introductory words: Use commas to separate them from the rest of
the sentence, or omit them entirely.
Example :

Well, Suga plays the piano well when he is in the mood.

Using Commas with conjunctive adverbs

Here are some rules of using commas with conjunctive adverbs :
1. When combining two sentences into one compound sentence, a comma and a
coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet) are used.
Example : The festival was to be held today, but it was canceled because of the rainy
weather.
2. Using words such as however, furthermore, and therefore (these are called conjunctive
adverbs) in place of coordinating conjunctions to combine two sentences into one. This is
where a punctuation problem often arises. Some writers sometimes makes a mistake by
incorrectly placing a comma in place of a semicolon before conjunctive adverbs.
Example : The festival was to be held today, however, it was canceled due to the rainy
weather. (comma preceding the conjunctive adverb INCORRECT. Note:
The comma following the conjunctive adverb is perfectly correct and should
be left as is.)
3. A semicolon, rather than a comma, should precede conjunctive adverbs when they link
two complete sentences.

Example : The festival was to be held today; however, it was canceled due to the rainy
weather. (semicolon preceding the conjunctive adverb CORRECT)

4. There are also situations in which it is entirely correct to use a comma before a
conjunctive adverb, as in the following sentence:
Example : The sporting events, however, continued despite the weather.
(Note that in this sentence, no semicolon is needed because it is not a compound sentence.)

Commas with Transitional Expressions

When a transitional expression like Therefore, However, As a result, or Consequently starts a
sentence, it should be followed by a comma. A transitional expressions sits at the start of a
sentence and acts like a bridge to an idea in the previous sentence. A transitional expressions is
followed by a comma. A transitional expressions is never preceded by a comma.
For example:

Bruce Leonard spent 4 years in Japan studying Kung Fu. As a result, he is often able to
predict moves by Japanese opponents.
Mark was separated from his twin sister when they were both one. Of course, it was often
said that the girl next door looked a little like him, but no one had any reason to think
they might be related.
In summary, 70% of you will fail the course.
Consequently, I cannot tolerate sloppy work.
However, Bruce was unaware that the shark was only making its first pass.

The word However is a very common transitional expression. It is just like the other transitional
expressions, but it deserves a special mention because writers often mistakenly precede it with a
comma (as opposed to using it to start a sentence).
Example:

I don't like cake. However, I love scones.

When However is being used as a transitional expressions, preceding it with a comma is a

mistake. It is called a run-on sentence.
On occasion, it might be appropriate to precede however with a semicolon. For example:

I don't like cake; however, I love scones.