Which sentence correctly uses a comma after an introductory dependent clause?

Which sentence correctly uses a comma after an introductory dependent clause?

• A. If you finish your homework you can go outside.
• B. If you finish your homework, you can go outside.
• C. If you finish your homework you, can go outside.
• D. If you finish your homework; you can go outside.

Answer: (B)

Placing a comma after an introductory dependent clause is used to separate that introductory thought from the main idea that follows. Here, the clause "If you finish your homework" sets up a condition and cannot stand alone. The main idea is "you can go outside," so a comma after the introductory clause helps the sentence flow and makes the relationship clear: only after finishing homework can you go outside.

That’s why the sentence that reads "If you finish your homework, you can go outside." is correct. Without the comma, the sentence runs together and can be harder to parse. A comma after "you" is incorrect because it interrupts the main clause in the wrong place, and a semicolon is inappropriate here because the first part isn’t an independent sentence.