Which sentence uses a comma correctly?

• A. After the rain, the streets were clean and bright.
• B. After the rain the streets were clean and bright.
• C. After rain, the streets were clean and bright.
• D. After the rain, streets were clean and bright.

Answer: (A)

When a sentence starts with a time phrase, you set it off with a comma to show the pause before the main statement. That comma after the introductory expression makes the sentence easier to read and clarifies the structure.

In the best sentence, the introductory idea is “After the rain,” and the main clause is “the streets were clean and bright.” The comma there correctly sets apart the time frame from what happened, and the main clause has a clear subject and verb.

The other forms stumble for small but important reasons: missing the comma after the introductory phrase makes the sentence feel rushed or misread; omitting the definite article in the time phrase (“After rain”) sounds off in standard writing; and dropping the article before “streets” while keeping the comma makes the noun phrase incomplete.