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comma after introductory phrase [preposition]: For ten percent, it

Evelin2208

Member
German
I learned that I have to use a comma after "for". Are the following sentences right regarding commas:

For an extra ten percent, attractiveness of the appearance was important.
For approximately ten percent of the interviewees, attention drawing played a role.
For a few subjects, symbolic and functional values were connected.


You don't have to. However, in two of those sentences, lack of comma after the for-clause could cause serious misreading:

an extra ten percent attractiveness: they were 10% more attractive?
interviewees attention: looks like interviewees' attention = the attention the interviewees showed

subjects symbolic - well, doesn't make much sense, so I suppose this one is okay without a comma
Thank you. But I can leave all three commas in, if I want to? So its more like an option to leave it out for the third sentence?
I'm going to stick my neck out and say that it is NOT optional when it is at the beginning of the sentence. I want to say adverbial clause?

Attention drawing played a role for approximately ten percent of the interviewees. (no comma)

For approximately ten percent of the interviewees, (comma necessary) attention drawing played a role.
It's a matter of how clear the sentence is without it. For short phrases that can't get confused with what follows, there is no necessity. Examples:

For Mary it was difficult.
For some people the most important thing is the economy.

The comma indicates where the for-phrase ends. In these two examples the grammar is so clear that you'd never get confused - you'd never try to read 'Mary it' or 'people the' as anything.
For Mary it was difficult.
For some people the most important thing is the economy.

The comma indicates where the for-phrase ends. In these two examples the grammar is so clear that you'd never get confused - you'd never try to read 'Mary it' or 'people the' as anything.

Notwithstanding that confusion would not ensue grammatically, there is no natural speech pause without the comma. When saying these sentences aloud, there is always a pause (at least for me) that can only be reflected by commas.
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