There are a number of words in the Russian language (for example, introductory words) that require commas to separate them; Obviously, it is precisely this fact that influences the consciousness of the writers in this case and makes one doubt whether the word “what” is separated by commas, whether a comma is placed before “what” or “after”. But these issues are solved much more simply and in a completely different way. The essence of the rule is not that it is necessary to somehow punctuate the word “what” - it simply requires signs between parts of a complex sentence.
Can there be a comma after "what"? Yes, but this is not related to the conjunction itself or the conjunction word. It’s just that after it there is something that in itself requires commas: an introductory construction, a separate phrase, etc. The comma before “what,” which separates parts of a complex sentence, is not affected in any way.
Why do commas even appear in the word “what”? “What” is a conjunction or pronoun, often acting as a connective word. It connects parts of a complex sentence. And in this case, except for rare exceptions, which are discussed below, a comma is required. The sign is always placed before the conjunction - this is the answer to the frequent question “Is a comma placed before the “what” or after?”
Is there always a comma before “what” or not?
1. Usually a comma is used, but there is an exception. We are talking about complex sentences with homogeneous subordinate clauses connected by the conjunction “and”. These are sentences in which the main clause is joined by two (sometimes more) subordinate clauses that are similar in meaning. They answer the same question, although they may be joined by different unions. If there is an “and” between them, then a comma is not placed before the second conjunction.
2. Sometimes the combination with the conjunction “what” is not a subordinate clause; then the comma is not needed. This is not difficult to check: without the part of the phrase with the conjunction “that,” the sentence loses its meaning.
3. Of course, there is no need to break stable expressions like “just now” with a comma.
4. Compound conjunctions can be formalized using commas in different ways; it depends on the author's intention: whether the comma is placed before the entire construction or in the middle.
Which option is correct?
(according to last week’s statistics, only 21% answered correctly)
You already know that union– this is an auxiliary part of speech, with the help of which a connection is drawn up between parts of sentences, individual sentences in a text, or between words as part of a simple sentence.
Union"HOW"very often requires the isolation of different syntactic structures.
To understand when to put a comma before a conjunction " HOW", and when not, look at the following examples.
1. Commas highlight or separate phrases beginning with a conjunction"HOW"
1) if they denote assimilation , without other shades of meaning (" HOW" has the meaning " like»).
For example: Below it is the Caucasus , like the edge of a diamond, shone with eternal snow. Her voice rang , like a bell. Her green eyes sparkled , like gooseberries. And he saw himself rich , like in a dream. (Krylov) His hands were shaking , like mercury. (Gogol) The air is clean and fresh , like kissing a child...(Lermontov) Like a seagull , the sail there is white in height.
Comparative phrases in our language not only convey similarities or differences, but also give beauty and expressiveness to the language.
The punctuation rule about the comparative phrase is not so complicated: it is always separated by commas on both sides.
For example: At the bottom , like a mirror , the water glistened. Around the tall brow , like clouds , the curls turn black. (Pushkin) Below , like a steel mirror, The lake streams turn blue. (Tyutchev) Sparkled brightly in the sky , like a living eye , first star. (Goncharov) Anchar , like a menacing sentry, stands alone in the entire universe (A.S. Pushkin).
What are the difficulties and where do the mistakes come from?
First difficulty- insufficiently thoughtful attitude to the text. If you do not understand that the sentence is comparing something to something else, you will not notice the comparative phrase. Here's a simple conclusion: always try to understand the text you are writing down.
Second difficulty is that among comparisons there are syntactic “dwarfs” and syntactic “giants”. This is what “dwarf” comparisons can look like; they can be accidentally overlooked.
For example: I myself , like a beast , was alien to people and crawled and hid , like a snake(M. Yu. Lermontov).
And here’s what “giants” comparisons might look like: In front of them , like ocean waves petrified during a storm, mountain ranges spread out.
What kind of trouble can be caused with such a proposal?
First, just forget to close the turn with a comma. This misfortune happens with all common phrases: having “caught” its beginning, many do not retain it in memory until the end - and then goodbye, second comma!
Secondly, without thinking about the meaning of the phrase, cut the “giant”, hastening to put a comma ahead of time, for example after the word petrified, and thereby turn the sentence into complete nonsense.
2) If there is an indicative word in the main part of the sentence so, so, so, so.
For example: The Lyceum gave Russia such people , like Pushkin, Pushchin, Delvig. The coachman was equally amazed at his generosity , like the Frenchman himself from Dubrovsky’s proposal. (Pushkin) Nowhere else at a mutual meeting do they bow so nobly and naturally , like on Nevsky Prospekt. (Gogol) His facial features were the same , just like my sister. (L. Tolstoy) Laevsky is certainly harmful and just as dangerous to society , like a cholera microbe... (Chekhov) Everything around is somehow churchy, and the smell of oil is as strong as in a church. (Bitter)
3) If the turnover begins with the combination like.
For example: Trees , just like people , have their own destiny. To Moscow , like the whole country, I feel my sonhood , like an old nanny(Paustovsky). In her eyes , as well as throughout the face, there was something unusual. Just like at last year's competitions, the athletes of the Russian Federation were ahead;
4) If union "HOW" included in the introductory sentence . The following expressions are most often used as introductory sentences:
As I remember now, how they spoke, how we learned, how some people think, as well as combinations like now, as one, as a rule, as an exception, as usual, as always, as before, as now, as now, as on purpose and so on.
For example: It was , as you can guess, our heroine. Residents of the house are all , as one , poured out into the yard. I see , as it is now , the owner himself... (Pushkin) Classes have begun , as usual , at nine o'clock in the morning. I remember , like now , my first teacher at school. How on purpose , there was not a penny in my pocket. Commas , usually , participial phrases are highlighted. Spartakiad , as usual , takes place in the summer.
But! The indicated combinations are not separated by commas if they are part of the predicate or are closely related to it in meaning.
For example: Classes start as usual. Snowfalls occur in December as a rule (=usually). Yesterday went as usual(i.e. as usual);
5) in revolutions none other than and none other than; the same as and the same as.
For example: Rhine Falls in front nothing else , How low water ledge (Zhukovsky). But in front of her was none other , How traveling Aigle, a famous collector of legends, fairy tales, tales. It was none other , How Rylov.
2. If the application is with a union"HOW"has the meaning of causality, it is separated by commas.
For example: Like a true Frenchman, Triquet brought a verse to Tatyana (A.S. Pushkin) in his pocket. Why did he bring the verse to Tatyana? - like a true Frenchman.
If the application has no additional values, it is separated by a comma.
For example: Such a tool , like a screwdriver , always useful on the farm. Neither one nor the other question can be raised here.
3. In a complex sentence, when attaching a subordinate clause:"HOW"acts as a subordinating conjunction and connects the subordinate clause with the main one.
For example: He sees , like a field father cleans up. Love jumped out in front of us , like it jumps out of the ground murderer, and amazed us both at once. I looked for a long time , how the candle burns.
(Reminder: how to distinguish a complex sentence from a complex sentence? In a complex sentence, you can ask a question from one part of the sentence to another. Using the example above: " I looked for a long time- for what? - how the candle burns". In complex sentences, the parts are equal).
1. Turnovers with a union"HOW"are not separated by commas
1) If the meaning of the circumstance of the course of action comes to the fore in circulation (to the question How?); Usually such phrases can be replaced by the instrumental case of a noun or an adverb.
For example: Buckshot rained down like hail.(Lermontov) (Compare: rained down like hail .) Dreams disappeared like smoke. (Lermontov) Like a demon is insidious and evil(Lermontov) (Compare: demonically insidious.)
The ring burns like heat.(Nekrasov) In anger, he thundered like thunder and sparkled like steel. The horse flies like a snowstorm, like a blizzard hurries. They flared like lightning in the sky, like fiery rain fell from the sky.
2) If the main meaning of the phrase is equating or identifying.
For example: …You loved me as property, as a source of joy, worries and sorrows...(Lermontov) (Compare: ...loved me, considering me his property.) …He[Judas] handed over his stone as the only one what he could give(Saltykov-Shchedrin);
3) If union "HOW"has the meaning "as" or turnover with the union "HOW" (application) characterizes an object from any one aspect.
For example: Rich, good-looking, Lensky was accepted everywhere as a groom. (Pushkin) I speak like a writer. (Gorky) My ignorance of the language and silence was interpreted as diplomatic silence. (Mayakovsky) We know India as a country of ancient culture. The public appreciated the early Chekhov as a subtle humorist. We know Lermontov more as a poet and prose writer and less as a playwright. I will keep this letter as a memory. Yuri Gagarin made history as the world's first astronaut. The environmental issue arises as the main question of today.
4) If the turnover forms the nominal part of the compound predicate or the meaning is closely related to the predicate (usually in these cases the predicate does not have a complete meaning without a comparative phrase).
For example: Some are like emerald, others are like coral. (Krylov) She herself walked like wild. (Goncharov) I became like a child in soul. (Turgenev) Father and mother are like strangers to her. (Dobrolyubov) I watched how. (Arsenyev)
She behaves like a mistress.(If we take the predicate “ holds on» without turnover « like a mistress", then it turns out " she's holding on", and you might think that she is holding on to something.)
Compare also: to feel as if in one’s own element, behaves as if insane, to understand as a hint, to perceive as praise, to recognize as danger, to look at as a child, to greet as a friend, to evaluate as an achievement, to consider as an exception, to take for granted, to present as a fact, to qualify as a violation of the law, note as a great success, interest as a novelty, put forward as a project, justify as a theory, accept as inevitable, develop as a tradition, express as a proposal, interpret as a reluctance to take part, define as a case of a separate application, characterize as a type, stand out as talent, formalize as an official document, be used as a phraseological figure, sound like a call, enter as an integral part, appear as a representative, feel like a foreign body, exist as an independent organization, arise as something unexpected, develop as a progressive idea, carry out as an urgent task and so on.;
5) If comparative phrase is preceded by negation Not or words completely, completely, almost, like, exactly, exactly, directly, simply and so on.
For example: I cultivated in myself this feeling of holiday not as rest and simply a means for further struggle, but as a desired goal, the completion of the highest creativity of life. (Prishvin) It was almost as bright as day. Children sometimes think just like adults. The girl's hair curls exactly like her mother's. The newspaper was not published as always. He just like a child.
6) If turnover has the character of a stable combination .
We have come to the most interesting case - phraseological units. Our speech is permeated with phraseological units. These are stable phrases, colored with irony, cunning, and slyness.
For example: I need a fifth leg like a dog, it will help like a poultice for a dead person.
Phraseologisms bring into our speech not only imagery, but also mischief and a smile. And what is very important is that they do not require a comma before the conjunction" HOW"!
For example: He's everywhere felt at home. Brother and sister similar as two peas in a pod. At the lion's It was like a mountain had been lifted off my shoulders.(Krylov) Tell the doctor to bandage his wound and took care of him like the apple of his eye. (Pushkin) The young couple were happy, and their life flowed like clockwork. (Chekhov)
There are no strict grammatical rules to help distinguish phraseological units from ordinary comparative phrases. You just need to be able to “recognize when you meet” as many phraseological units as possible.
Among the stable phrases that are not separated by commas, there are also “dwarfs”: works like an ox(or like a horse), tired or hungry as a dog, stupid as a plug, white as a harrier, mad, crazy, rooted to the spot and so on. There is no comma before " HOW"in combinations no how no And right here. A phrase of impressive size is not separated by commas either. as if nothing had happened.
Compare also: white as a harrier, white as a sheet, white as snow, pale as death, shines like a mirror, the disease vanished as if by hand, feared like fire, wanders like a restless person, rushed like crazy, mumbles like a sexton, ran in like crazy, spins like a squirrel in a wheel , squeals like a pig, I see like in the daytime, everything is as if on selection, jumped up as if stung, looked like a wolf, stupid as a cork, naked like a falcon, hungry like a wolf, as far as the sky from the earth, trembling as if in a fever, trembling like an aspen leaf, he's like water off a duck's back, waiting like manna from heaven, fell asleep like the dead, healthy as an ox, knows like the back of his hand, walks along like a man sewn, rolled like cheese in butter, sways like a drunk, swayed like jelly, red as a lobster, strong like an oak tree, screams like a catechumen, flies like an arrow, beats like Sidorov's goat, bald as a knee, pours like a bucket, waves his arms like a mill, rushes about like a madman, wet like a mouse, gloomy like a cloud, people like herrings in a barrel, not to be seen like your ears, dumb as a grave, running around like crazy, needed like air, stopped dead in your tracks, remained like a stranded lobster, sharp as a razor, different as heaven from earth, turned white as a sheet, repeated as if in delirium, you'll go like a dear, remember what was the name, hit like a butt on the head, looked like two peas in a pod, sank like a stone, loyal like a dog, stuck like a bath leaf, fell through the ground, disappeared as if sank into water, just like a knife to the heart, burned like in fire, dissipated like smoke, grew like mushrooms after rain, fell out of the blue, fresh as blood and milk, fresh as a cucumber, sat as if on needles, sat as if on coals, sat as if chained, listened as if spellbound, watched as enchanted, slept like the dead, slender like a cypress, hard as a stone, dark as night, skinny like a skeleton, cowardly like a hare, died like a hero, fell like a man knocked down, rested like a ram, stubborn like a donkey, tired like a dog, whipped like a bucket, walked like being submerged in water, cold as ice, black as hell, feeling at home, staggering like a drunk, walking as if to execution and so on.
2. In addition, the word "HOW" can be part of a compound union both... and... or because, as well as revolutions since, since, as much as possible, as little as possible or more. In such cases, a comma is placed either before " HOW", or before the whole complex union.
For example: He has excellent grades in both Russian and mathematics. This topic is touched upon in both poetry and prose. Both children and adults love fairy tales. Avoid empty speeches, as their outcome is repentance.
He finished the story as they reached the place. Larisa worked in a hairdresser while Ivan was finishing college.
Since the eternal judge
He gave me the omniscience of a prophet,
I read in people's eyes
Pages of malice and vice.
(M. Yu. Lermontov)
3. In a complex sentence with homogeneous subordinate clauses after coordinating conjunctions.
For example: It’s nice to listen in a warm room to how angry the wind is and how the taiga groans.
4. Union"HOW" can be present in a sentence without attaching absolutely any semantic-syntactic block, but only as a means of expressiveness of speech.
For example: We have worked hard; I tried not to be separated from my friends as long as possible; The weight of the luggage seemed to lessen; I was just about to go to the skating rink and so on.
How do you know where to put commas and where there is no need for it? This punctuation mark is an important means of formalizing written speech. Often it is he who helps to understand the meaning invested by the author in the text. Commas are placed according to certain rules that are easy to remember. So, why not remember your school lessons?
How to figure out where to put commas? People have been asking this question for more than a millennium. The sign that functions as a comma was invented by the famous ancient Greek philosopher Aristophanes of Byzantium. This happened back in the third century BC. Even then, humanity desperately needed to clarify written language.
Aristophanes of Byzantium came up with a system of punctuation marks that is very far from modern punctuation. He used special points, which had to be placed depending on how the phrase was pronounced when reading. They could be located at the bottom, middle or top of the line. The function of the comma in those days was assigned to the period in the middle.
The sign that is used today is derived from the fraction symbol. The modern comma is a mini-copy of the one used from the 13th to the 17th centuries to indicate a pause.
So, how to quickly and easily learn the rules and stop making mistakes? How to figure out where to put commas and where they are not needed? To begin with, you should remember that this punctuation mark serves to isolate and highlight:
Of course, that's not all. Punctuation can also be used to separate:
Commas can be single or double. Singles break a sentence into parts, fixing the boundaries of these parts. This punctuation mark is needed, for example, when it is necessary to indicate two simple parts in a complex sentence. Paired commas can be used, say, to highlight participial and participial phrases and introductory words.
The meaning of the sentence will help you understand where to put commas. After all, punctuation marks are used precisely in order to convey it correctly. If a comma is in the wrong place in a sentence, the meaning is inevitably distorted.
For example: “In the afternoon I entertained my sister, who was sick, by reading aloud”; “Elizabeth, with whom I had a fight a few days ago, walked towards me with a cheerful face”; “I gladly accepted the invitation of Anton, whom I had not seen for many days.” Commas are not where they should be or are missing, so the meaning changes. The person who reads the text does not understand what the author wanted to say.
To avoid making mistakes, you need to remember the conjunctions that are preceded by this punctuation mark. When, where, what, because, since - just a few of them.
Suppose the sentence uses the conjunction “since.” Where to put commas? Examples help to understand this. Let's say: “Nikolai is delayed because he doesn’t have time to get ready”; “Svetlana will not come because she has urgent matters”; “Ksenia did something she had never done before”; “Vladimir answered in a way that no one before him could. The teacher gave him the highest score.”
Let's say that the sentence contains the conjunction “because”. Where to put commas? It is easy to give examples in this case as well. Let's say: “Alexander was not at the meeting because he is on a business trip”; “Elena failed the task because everyone refused to help her”; “Nicholas refused to marry a rich bride because he didn’t like her at all.” A comma can also be placed between the words “because” and “that.” For example: “The windows were open because voices on the street were clearly audible in the apartment.” This sentence confirms that the windows are indeed open. There is another example: “The windows were open because it was very hot in the apartment.” This sentence explains the reason that prompted them to be opened.
How do you know where to put commas in a sentence? With the help of this punctuation mark, its independent part is highlighted. How to find her? If the meaning of a sentence is preserved after some part is removed from it, then it is independent. Introductory sentences and participial phrases must be separated by commas.
For example: “Yesterday I was told that my brother Dmitry, returning from Paris, felt unwell.” If we delete the adverbial phrase “returning from Paris,” the meaning of the sentence will remain virtually unchanged.
What other example can you give? “Today Stanislav learned that his girlfriend, passing by his house, did not come to visit him.”
Where should commas be placed if there are introductory words in the sentence? By the way, imagine, fortunately, of course, by the way - just some of them. The rules of the Russian language say to highlight them with commas on both sides.
For example: “By the way, I always knew that this would happen”; “Dmitry, fortunately, has already overcome his illness”; “Anastasia, just imagine, decided not to come visit us”; “Marina, by the way, has been training in this sports club for several years now.”
The address is also always separated by commas in the sentence. It is not always located at the beginning; it can be located in the middle or even at the end.
For example: “Are you coming to visit us this week, Lydia?”; “More than anything else, Margarita, I love to read”; “Alexandra, how do you feel about this plan?”
Where to put commas? The rules of the Russian language dictate the use of these punctuation marks to highlight comparative phrases. As if, how, precisely, what, than, rather than are conjunctions that make them easy to detect in a sentence.
For example: “I play the guitar better than her”; “He runs like he’s been training for a marathon for the past few years”; “It was safer to travel at night than during the day,” “I often visit Moscow, like many other cities in Russia.”
We must not forget about the existence of exceptions. Comparative phrases are not indicated using commas when we are talking about phraseological units and set expressions. For example: “Cuts like clockwork”; “It’s pouring like buckets,” “It’s stuck like a bath leaf”; "Make yourself at home".
Homogeneous members of a sentence will not always share this punctuation mark. How do you know where to put commas and where not to? However, but, and, but, yes - conjunctions in which this means of punctuation is necessary.
A comma is placed between homogeneous members if they are connected by repeated conjunctions (or...or, or...or, and...and, not that...not that). For example: “In the apartment the light went out and then came on again.” This punctuation mark is not needed when using single conjunctions or, either, yes, and.
Complexity can be created by heterogeneous and homogeneous definitions. A comma is used if the sentence contains homogeneous definitions. Let's say: “an exciting, interesting action movie.” However, this punctuation mark is not needed if heterogeneous definitions are used. For example: “a Hollywood thriller.” “Hollywood” refers to the place where it was created, while “spectacular” expresses the impression.
Where is the correct place to put commas when talking about sentences with participial phrases? Participles are indicated by this punctuation mark only in those cases when they are located after the word they are defining. We are talking about a word from which a question is asked in a participial phrase. Let's say: “a brother who was surprised at my arrival,” “a friend who was delighted at the news,” “a mother who found out everything,” “an apple tree that grew in the garden.”
This punctuation mark is necessary in a complex sentence that contains coordinating conjunctions. The rules say to put it in front of them. Yes and, either, and, or, yes are examples of such unions.
The most important thing is to correctly understand where the beginning of one sentence and the end of another are. This is easy to do by identifying the subject and predicate. Separating by meaning will also help.
For example: “It rained all day, and the wind continued to rustle outside the window”; “They worked for a long time, but they finished all the work.”
Before contrastive conjunctions (a, yes, but), this punctuation mark is necessary in all cases. For example: “His relatives and friends had high hopes for Evgeniy, but he failed to live up to them”; “It rained in the morning, but by lunchtime the weather improved”; “Your friend wants to talk to you, and you need this conversation.”
What else can you tell us about where to put commas in accordance with the rules of the Russian language? Using this punctuation mark, interjections, negative, interrogative and affirmative words are highlighted. Let's say: “Life, alas, does not last forever, sooner or later a person dies,” “Certainly, Alexander will join us for dinner today, since he promised me to do so”; “Isn’t it true that Victoria is very pretty? After all, you like this girl too?” “Undoubtedly, Anatoly will go on a trip around the world this week. I learned about this from him himself,” “I hope Timofey does not harbor a grudge.”
Interjections should not be confused with the particles ah, oh, well, which serve to enhance the connotation. For example: “Oh, what a guy he is!”; “Why is Alexander behaving so badly!”; “Oh, how tired I am, I worked all day today without rest.” It is also necessary to be able to distinguish the particle o, which is used when addressing. Let's say: “Oh mountains, mountains!”; "Oh fields, endless fields."
Punctuation errors can distort the meaning of the text more than spelling errors. The latter can always be passed off as a typo, while missing a comma or using it in the wrong place will not allow the reader to understand what the author wanted to say.
It is understanding the meaning that allows you to place punctuation marks correctly. Of course, it is important to remember the rules regarding the placement of commas in a sentence.
The comma is the simplest and most prosaic, but at the same time the most insidious sign. Its formulation implies an understanding of how speech is constructed and structured, what meanings appear and disappear if the comma is placed incorrectly. Of course, in a short article it is impossible to describe in what cases a comma is used and list absolutely everything; we will focus only on the most common and simple ones.
Correct placement of commas in a simple sentence begins with knowing the rule that homogeneous members of a sentence must be separated by a comma:
I love, adore, idolize cats.
I love cats, dogs, horses.
Difficulties arise if there is a conjunction “and” between homogeneous members of the sentence. The rule here is simple: if the conjunction is single, a comma is not needed:
I love dogs, cats and horses.
If there is more than one conjunction, then a comma is placed before the second conjunction and further:
I love dogs, cats, and horses.
Otherwise, a comma is placed before the conjunction “a”. The rule dictates the placement of the sign in any case and also applies to the conjunction “but” and the conjunction “yes” in the meaning of “but”:
My neighbor doesn't like dogs, but cats.
Cats love cautious people, but avoid noisy and angry people.
Difficulties with where a comma is needed also arise when it comes to definition. However, everything is simple here too.
If a single adjective refers to a personal pronoun, it is separated by a comma:
Satisfied, she entered the room and showed the purchase.
I saw this dog then. She, joyful, wagged her tail, trembled and jumped on her owner all the time.
If you are memorizing the rules about when to use a comma, then the third point should be a separate definition.
By separate definition we mean, first of all, It is separated by commas in the case when it follows the word to which it refers:
A boy who has read books about travel will never pass indifferently past a travel agency or a store with tents and lanterns.
The cat, who had barely waited for the treat, was now purring and looking affectionately at its owner.
A boy who has read books about travel will never pass indifferently past a travel agency or a store with tents and lanterns.
The cat, which had barely waited for the treat, was now purring and looking affectionately at its owner.
Commas in both simple and complex sentences separate a single gerund and a participial phrase:
The cat purred and lay down on my lap.
The dog, after growling, calmed down and let us talk.
After making a number of comments about the new project, the boss left.
Introductory words are words that show the reliability of information, its source or the speaker’s attitude to this information.
These are words that could potentially be expanded into a sentence:
This artist, of course, won the hearts of all his contemporaries.
Natasha doesn't seem to have any intention of taking care of her father.
Leonid apparently has no idea why so many people have appeared around him lately.
If there is an address in the sentence, and it is not a pronoun, then it must be separated by commas on both sides.
Hello, dear Leo!
Goodbye, Lydia Borisovna.
Do you know, Masha, what I want to tell you?
Linda, come to me!
Unfortunately, ignorance of when to use a comma often leads to illiterate execution of business letters. Among these errors are the omission of a comma when addressing, and the insertion of an extra comma when pronouncing:
Good afternoon Pavel Evgenievich!(Need to: Good afternoon, Pavel Evgenievich!)
Svetlana Borisovna, we have also prepared our new samples for you. ( Need to : Svetlana Borisovna, we have also prepared our new samples for you.)
How do you think it is advisable to conclude this agreement? ( Need to : Do you think it is advisable to conclude this agreement?)
In general, all the rules regarding the cases in which a comma is placed in a complex sentence essentially boil down to one thing: all parts of any complex sentence must be separated from each other by a punctuation mark.
Spring has come, the sun is shining, sparrows are scurrying about, children are running around triumphantly.
They bought him a new computer because the old one could no longer work due to the small amount of memory and incompatibility with new programs.
What else can you do if not have fun when there is nothing else left to do?
At the head of the procession was a little red-haired boy, he was probably the most important.
A comma in a complex sentence is placed in all cases, except for a unifying word, and if another sign is not needed at the junction of parts of the sentence, first of all, a colon.
If parts of a complex sentence are combined by a single word (for example, then a comma is not placed between these parts of the sentence:
and the birds flew in, our company somehow perked up.
Wed: Spring has come, the birds have flown in, and our company has somehow become more lively.
This word can be not only at the very beginning of a sentence:
We will go to this meeting only as a last resort, only if all the conditions are agreed upon and the text of the agreement is agreed upon.
A colon should replace a comma if the meaning of the first part is revealed in the second:
It was a wonderful time: we drew what we wanted.
Now he got down to the most important thing: he was making a gift for his mother.
The dog no longer wanted to go for walks: the owners had so intimidated her with training that it was easier to sit under the table.
Many mistakes regarding when to use a comma arise from a misunderstanding of the difference between the two meanings of the word “as.”
The first meaning of this word is comparative. In this case, the sentence is separated by commas:
The aspen leaf, like a butterfly, rose higher and higher.
The second meaning is an indication of identity. In such cases, the phrase with “how” is not separated by commas:
The butterfly as an insect is of little interest to people who are accustomed to seeing animals as a source of warmth and communication.
Therefore the sentence: " I, like your mother, will not allow you to ruin your life" can be punctuated in two ways. If the speaker is really the listener's mother, then the word "how" is used as a word indicating identity ("I" and "mom" are the same thing), so there is no need for commas.
If the speaker compares himself with the mother of the listener (“I” and “mother” are not the same thing, “I” is compared” with “mother”), then commas are needed:
I, like your mother, will not allow you to ruin your life.
If “how” is part of the predicate, the comma is also omitted:
The lake is like a mirror. ( Wed .: The lake, like a mirror, sparkled and reflected the clouds).
Music is like life. (Music, like life, does not last forever.)
Special features of sentences will help you pay attention to when a comma is used. However, you should not trust them too much.
So, for example, this primarily concerns whether a comma is placed before “so that.” The rule seems to be unambiguous: “A comma is always placed before “so that”.” However, any rule should not be taken too literally. For example, a sentence with "so" could be:
He wanted to talk to her to find out the truth and to talk about how he lived his life.
As you can see, the rule works here, but the second “so” does not require a comma. However, this error is quite common:
We went to the store just to study the prices and to see what we could buy for lunch in this city.
Right : We went to the store just to study the prices and to see what we could buy for lunch in this city.
The same goes for the word “how”. It was already said above that, firstly, a word has two meanings, and secondly, it can be part of different members of a sentence, so you should not trust the common formulation “There is always a comma before “as”.”
The third common case of a formal sign of the need for a comma is the word “yes”. However, it should also be treated with great caution. The word “yes” has several meanings, including “and”:
He took his brushes and went to paint.
The jackdaws and crows flocked in, but the titmice were still missing.
Such formal signs should rather be treated as potentially “dangerous” places. Words like “so that”, “what would”, “how”, “yes” can signal that there may be a comma in this sentence. These “signals” will help you not to miss commas in sentences, but the rule regarding these signs themselves should never be overlooked.
At the same time, when placing commas, you should rather focus not on the “rules”, but on the meaning of the sign. The comma, in general, is intended to separate homogeneous members of a sentence, parts of a complex sentence, as well as fragments that do not fit into the structure of the sentence, which are alien to it (addresses, introductory words, etc.). The rules only specify each case. This even applies to the formula “you need a comma before “to”.” This rule actually specifies the general principle of punctuation. But in general, of course, when writing you need to think!
You often read news and large serious materials from reputable, respected publications on the Internet and catch yourself thinking: who is the author of these illiterate lines, where did they study, who taught them to use written Russian so ineptly. In addition to , a mistake in which, unfortunately, even specialist philologists make, many errors in the field of syntax and punctuation began to be found in the texts of would-be journalists.
Simply put, the question of where to put a comma, whether it is needed here or not, and if it is needed, then why, causes enormous difficulties for most writers. One gets the impression that they did not study this section of the Russian language either at school or at university, and they put punctuation marks where there is a pause in the language - this is where they strive to “stick” their “hook”. But in language, not everything is so simple - it has its own rules. MIR 24 decided to recall some of the punctuation features of the Russian language.
Punctuation refers to the system of punctuation marks in the written language, the rules for their placement in written speech, as well as the section of grammar that studies these rules. Punctuation makes clear the syntactic and intonation structure of speech, highlighting individual sentences and members of sentences. This greatly facilitates oral reproduction of what has been written.
(along with the colon and dash) is the most complex punctuation mark. In order to understand whether a given sentence contains a comma, you need to remember a few simple rules. In writing, this sign is used to highlight and isolate participial and participial phrases, definitions, isolations, addresses, interjections, interjections, clarifications and, of course, introductory words.
Also, a comma is used to separate between direct and indirect speech, between parts of a complex, complex and compound sentence, and homogeneous members of a sentence.
This punctuation mark is used either singly or in pairs. Single commas serve to divide a whole sentence into parts, separating these parts by marking their boundaries. For example, in a complex sentence it is necessary to separate two simple parts, and in a simple one - homogeneous members of the sentence that are used in the listing. Paired commas highlight an independent part of a sentence, marking boundaries on both sides. On both sides, participial and adverbial phrases, introductory words, and addresses in the middle of a sentence are most often distinguished. To understand where commas are placed, remember a few rules.
The most important thing is to understand the meaning of the sentence to understand the meaning of the sentence. One of the functions of punctuation marks is to convey correct semantics. If a comma is placed in the wrong place, the meaning is instantly distorted and a comic effect appears. For example: “Yesterday I entertained my sister, who was sick, playing the guitar.”
To highlight an independent part of a sentence, you need to read the sentence without this part. If the meaning of the sentence is clear, then the removed part is independent. Commas, as a rule, always highlight adverbial phrases, introductory sentences and words. For example: “The other day it became known that a friend of mine, returning from vacation, forgot her phone in the train car.” If we remove the participial phrase from this sentence, its meaning will hardly change: “The other day it became known that a friend of mine forgot her phone in the train car.”
However, there are cases when the gerund adjoins the predicate and in its meaning becomes similar to an adverb. In such cases, single participles are not separated by commas. “Why, sir, are you crying? Live your life laughing” (A.S. Griboyedov). If the gerund participle is removed from this sentence, it will become incomprehensible.
Addresses are always separated by commas in sentences. If it is in the middle or end of a sentence, it is not very easy to identify. For example: Tell me, boy, how far is it to the city? You are wrong, wife, when you say that Lionel Messi is not a football genius. Well, haven’t you noticed, sister, that the clock hanging on the wall has stopped?”
In almost all cases, a comma is used when talking about comparative phrases. It is easy to find in a sentence, mainly due to conjunctions as if, exactly, as, as if, as, rather than than, etc. However, there are exceptions. Comparative phrases are not highlighted if they are phraseological units. For example: It was as if he had disappeared into the ground. Rain cats and dogs and so on.
A comma is placed between homogeneous terms, but not always. A comma is necessary for conjunctions such as a, yes, but, but, however. Also, a comma is needed between homogeneous members that are connected by repeating conjunctions (and ... and, or ... or, not that ... not that, either ... or). There is no need to put a comma between homogeneous members that are connected by single conjunctions yes, and, either, or. In addition, repeating conjunctions before homogeneous members of the sentence will help determine where commas are placed.
Difficulties arise when homogeneous and heterogeneous definitions come across. Between homogeneous definitions, a comma is necessary. For example: interesting, fascinating book. For heterogeneous definitions, there is no need to use a comma: interesting philosophical novel. The word “interesting” expresses the impression in this phrase, and “philosophical” means that the novel belongs to a certain genre.
In complex sentences, a comma is placed before coordinating conjunctions. These are unions like and, yes, or, either, yes and. The main thing here is to correctly determine where one simple sentence ends and another begins. To do this, you need to find a grammatical basis in each of them (subjects and predicates) or divide a complex sentence according to its meaning.
A comma is placed in sentences with a participial phrase, but also not always. The main thing here is to remember that participles are isolated only if they appear after the word they define. The word being defined is the one from which the question is asked to the participial phrase. For example: The bus standing at the bus stop broke down. If this does not happen, a comma is not needed: The bus standing at the stop has broken down.
A comma is always placed before contrastive conjunctions - but, yeah, uh.
Affirmative, interrogative, negative words, as well as interjections, require commas. There is always a comma after the interjection: “Competent speech, alas, is a rarity these days”. But not everything is so simple here. The interjection must be distinguished from particles such as oh, ah, well– they are used for reinforcement, as well as particles O, used when addressing. “What are you like!”, “Oh, close your pale legs!” (V. Brusov).
Here, of course, everything is very schematic and brief - Russian punctuation is much more complex and richer. But even these tips, I hope, will help you write correctly and put commas where they are justified by the rules, and not use them where they are not needed. I wish you success in mastering the “great and mighty” and remind you:
How to correctly pronounce, speak and write - the New Season program will test your knowledge and teach you on the air of the MIR TV channel from September 3. The program will air on button 18 on Sundays at 7:20.
Every week, TV viewers will be able to learn new and interesting facts about the “great and mighty.” The program will continue to be hosted by the charismatic Sergei Fedorov, who promises to fill the program not only with intelligence, but also with sparkling humor.
Ivan Rakovich
