I'm reading this resource on the net that says introductory commas are not needed if the introductory phrase is short. This leaves me mind blown because I thought that every introductory phrase had to be set off with a comma. Is this a credible source? Is it telling me the truth? Here's what it says: Most introductory modifying phrases without verbals (and some with) will be prepositional phrases. Many people wrongly assume that all introductory prepositional phrases should be followed by a comma. In fact, the default mode for an introductory prepositional phrase with no verbal is that it is NOT set off by a comma, unless it is very long, or if there is a possibility that it might be misread. **
first of all, you MUST cite the source when quoting from someone else's work... i had to google for the source of this info and found it to not be a highly-recognized reliable one [tina blue: american public university]... secondly, it's poorly presented, if no examples have been included... i'd have to see such examples to tell if it's making any sense or not...
Introductory prepositional phrases need not be separated by a comma: After the ball Jennifer raced home. Inside the house the residents slept soundly. .. and so forth. Commas may be used, but they are optional. I would use them insofar as they support the rhythm I want to establish inside the reader's head.
