NFPA Paralegal Core Competency Exam (PCCE)Legal Writing and CommunicationEasy
A paralegal is proofreading a draft appellate brief. The supervising attorney has stressed the importance of correct grammar and punctuation, particularly regarding the use of commas with introductory clauses. Which of the following sentences correctly uses a comma with an introductory clause?
- ADespite the defendant's arguments the court ruled in favor of the plaintiff.
- BTo ensure compliance with the statute all parties must submit their filings by Friday.
- CIf the appeal is successful the lower court's decision will be overturned.
- DBecause the evidence was insufficient, the motion for summary judgment was denied.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Because the evidence was insufficient, the motion for summary judgment was denied.
A comma is generally used to separate an introductory clause from the main clause of a sentence. In option B, 'Because the evidence was insufficient' is an introductory dependent clause, correctly followed by a comma.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Missing a comma after the introductory phrase 'Despite the defendant's arguments'.
- B. Missing a comma after the introductory infinitive phrase 'To ensure compliance with the statute'.
- C. Missing a comma after the introductory dependent clause 'If the appeal is successful'.
Comma with Introductory Clause
A comma is used to separate an introductory dependent clause or long introductory phrase from the independent clause that follows it.
- Applies to dependent clauses starting with subordinating conjunctions (e.g., 'because', 'if', 'while')
- Applies to long introductory phrases (e.g., participial, infinitive, prepositional)
- Improves readability and clarity
Memory trick: Introductory clauses always need a comma to lead.