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Note that an adverb used at the beginning of a sentence is usually followed by a comma.
A comma indicates that the reader should pause briefly, which creates a useful
rhetorical device. Read the following sentences aloud and consider the effect of pausing
after the adverb:
Cautiously, he unlocked the kennel and waited for the dog’s reaction.
Solemnly, the policeman approached the mayor and placed him under arrest.
Suddenly, he slammed the door shut and sprinted across the street.
In an academic essay, moving an adverb to the beginning of a sentence serves to vary
the rhythm of a paragraph and increase sentence variety.
Naomi has used two adverbs in her essay that could be moved to the beginning of their
respective sentences. Notice how the following revised version creates a more varied
paragraph: