Do I need the comma after the opening adjective?

Question

The sentence is:

There, it continues to attract visitors.

vs

There it continues to attract visitors.

I saw the second example on the grammar section of a standardized test and I thought they made a mistake.

Edit:
I don't remember the context but it's something like:

The statue was relocated to New York. There...

Could you quote the entire paragraph, if it isn't too much trouble? — Ricky, Jan 11 '21 at 02:12
Related, but not addressing this actual example ('there' is not an adjective; perhaps it's best to stick with 'distal locative'): use of a comma after an introductory word, phrase or clause – unacceptable, obligatory or optional? As with most short intros, the comma here is optional IMO. The sentence is unusual, literary-sounding (though totally acceptable) and the writer can choose whether to insert a more pronounced pause or not. — Edwin Ashworth, Feb 13 '21 at 15:27
BTW, commas are not part of English grammar; they're determined by publishers and editors, not linguists. — John Lawler, Feb 03 '23 at 15:20

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Jan 11 '21 at 03:30

It is optional. You don't have to, but you could (i.e. use a comma).

Punctuation depends heavily on intonation, inflection, and all the test of it.

If there's a long enough pause after a word, the rule of thumb is a comma might be advisable to indicate it.

1 Answers1