When is a comma used? Commas in sentences: rules. When is a comma used? Punctuation rules

I have already told you about three rules for placing commas. Today I will remind you about other punctuation rules. Maybe someone will learn something new for themselves!

So, where and when is a comma placed?

4. A comma is always placed before conjunctions a, but, then, yes (meaning “but”)

We always put a comma before conjunctions a, but, but, yes (meaning “but”)

5. Commas separate homogeneous members of a sentence

Homogeneous members of the sentence answer the same question, refer to one member of the sentence and perform the same syntactic function. Between themselves connected by a coordinating or non-conjunctive syntactic connection.

Comma between homogeneous members of a sentence

Homogeneous members of the sentence characterize an object on one side.

Red, yellow, blue flowers decorated the meadow (color).

Bloomed in the front garden big red ones tulips (large - size, red - color). This heterogeneous members of a sentence, you cannot put the conjunction “and” between them, so we don’t put a comma.

♦ No comma in integral phraseological combinations with repeated conjunctions and... and, neither... nor(they connect words with contrasting meanings): day and night, old and young, laughter and grief, here and there, this and that, here and there...

♦ No comma with paired combinations of words, when there is no third option: both husband and wife, and earth and sky.

Love is when you want to sing day and night. No fee or manager.
Frank Sinatra

6. A comma separates two or more simple sentences within one complex sentence.

These suggestions could be:

A) Non-union.

Hatred does not solve any problems, it only creates them.
Frank Sinatra

Here are two sentences: 1. Hate does not solve any problems. 2. She only creates them.

B) Compound (sentences with coordinating conjunctions a, but, and...).

The more unusual something is, the simpler it appears, and only the wise can understand its meaning.
Paulo Coelho "The Alchemist"

Here are two sentences connected by the conjunction “and”: 1. The more unusual something is, the simpler it looks. 2. Only the wise can understand its meaning.

To avoid mistakes in punctuation, always try to break down complex sentences into simple ones.

Important! A comma is not used if the sentences have a common member or a common subordinate clause.

By nightfall the rain stopped and it became quieter.

By nightfall the rain stopped.

By night it became quieter.

By nightfall - a common member.

7. A comma separates the main and subordinate clauses in complex sentences.

The subordinate clause is added to the main one:

Subordinating conjunctions(what, so that, as if, since, because, than that...):

Comma between allied words

Union words(who, which, whose, how many, where, when, why...). Conjunctive words are members of subordinate clauses (including may be the subject):

If the subordinate clause is inside the main clause, then it is separated by commas on both sides.

Life doesn’t always give you a second try; it’s better to accept the gifts it gives you.
Paulo Coelho "Eleven Minutes"

8. Comma for complex subordinating conjunctions

A. The comma is placed once if there are conjunctions: thanks to; due to the fact that; due to the fact that; due to the fact that; because of; because; instead of; in order to; so as to; while; after; before as; since; just like others.

B. However depending on the meaning, a complex union can be divided into two parts: the first is part of the main sentence, and the second serves as a conjunction. In these cases, a comma is placed only before the second part of the combination.

Comma for complex subordinating conjunctions

IN. The comma is not used in irreducible combinations: do it properly (as it should, as it should), do it as it should (as it should, as it should), grab whatever comes along, appear as if nothing had happened, etc.

These are general rules for placing commas in sentences with subordinating conjunctions, but there are particulars that require special attention (the conjunction “despite the fact that”, two conjunctions in a row, etc.).

9. Participial and adverbial phrases, adjectives with dependent words and applications are highlighted with a comma

A comma is placed between participial phrases

Sometimes commas highlight not only participial phrases and adjectives with dependent words, but also single participles and adjectives.

Only small children, street children, are without supervision.
Ilya Ilf, Evgeny Petrov “Twelve Chairs”

Participles and adverbial phrases are set off with a comma

Participles are set off with a comma

♦ If the participial phrase has turned into a stable expression (phraseologism), no commas are used.

He said with his hand on his heart. He ran headlong. He worked carelessly (rolling up his sleeves).

Not separated by commas and gerunds that turned into adverbs (joking, lying down, silently, reluctantly, slowly, standing, etc.).

He stood up reluctantly; walked slowly; I read while lying down.

10. Comparative phrases are highlighted with a comma

They are joined by conjunctions: as, as if, exactly, as if, as if, that, rather than, etc.

Comparative phrases are highlighted with a comma

Each of us at school had to write dictations in our native language. And, probably, the most offensive thing was the reduction in the final grade due to a missing or extra comma. Let's find out why this symbol and others like it are so important in language, and what science specializes in this issue.

What does punctuation study?

At the end of the previous sentence there is a familiar one that signals to every reader that this is a question, not a statement. It is on the study of such signal elements that such a science as punctuation concentrates.

Moreover, she specializes not only in the formation and regulation of norms and rules for setting punctuation marks, but also studies their history.

What is it for?

Having learned what punctuation is studying, it is worth paying attention to its practical value. After all, for example, the practical significance of spelling is clear to most of us - if you do not teach people to write correctly, it will become unclear to others what they want to say: flight or litter, etc. At the same time, many “victims” of school punctuation repressions are still perplexed : what difference does it make where to put a comma, why is it needed at all, and why a whole science was formed to study it.

Let's figure it out. So, punctuation is important to make the text easier to understand. With its help, sentences or their parts are separated from each other. This allows the writer to concentrate on the thought he needs.

To more clearly understand the meaning of punctuation marks, it is worth recalling the “bearded” example from the cartoon “In the Land of Unlearned Lessons” - “Execution cannot be pardoned.”

The life of the main character, Vitya Perestukin, depended on where the comma was placed. If he had put it this way: “Execute, cannot be pardoned,” Vita would have faced death. Fortunately, the boy correctly translated the sign: “You cannot execute, but have mercy,” and thus was saved.

In addition to emphasizing certain parts of a sentence, punctuation often helps to understand its meaning.

For example, if you simply put a period at the end of the sentence “Our mother has come,” this will be a statement of the fact of the mother’s arrival.

If you replace it with a question mark, it will no longer be a statement of a fait accompli, but a question: “Has our mother come?”

Etymology of the term

Having considered what punctuation studies and why it is needed, we can pay attention to the origin of this concept.

The term under study was derived from the Latin word punctum, which translates as a point. Based on this, we can assume that the first punctuation mark in history is precisely the period (at least in Russian punctuation this is so).

It is believed that the ancient Greeks were the first to use it as a sign to end a sentence or even an entire paragraph.

Punctuation marks

Knowing what punctuation studies, it’s worth going into more detail on this. In other words, let's pay attention to punctuation marks. They are also called punctuation and are elements of writing necessary to achieve such goals.

The main ones are:

Separation/highlighting of words, phrases, semantic segments in a sentence or whole text.
They indicate grammatical and sometimes logical connections between words.
They indicate the emotional color of the sentence and its communicative type.
They signal the completion/incompleteness of a statement/thought.

Unlike words, punctuation symbols are not parts of a sentence, although they perform very important functions in it.

The need for such signs is emphasized by the fact that in most text editors, when checking spelling, punctuation errors are highlighted in a separate color - green, while spelling errors are highlighted in red.

Types of punctuation marks that are in the Russian language

To remember exactly which separating characters are used in Russian, it is worth remembering any lesson about punctuation. It necessarily mentioned most of these elements. All of them are divided into two categories: paired and unpaired.

The first is a much smaller number: quotes "", brackets (), 2 commas and 2 dashes.

They serve to highlight a word, phrase or part of a sentence and are always used together, functioning as a single whole.

In this case, quotation marks are also used to highlight names in Cyrillic and as a designation of direct speech.

By the way, the most common mistakes in punctuation of paired characters is forgetting to put the second one.

There are significantly more unpaired punctuation symbols. They are divided into groups according to their direct functions. Moreover, some of them are capable of performing not one, but two roles at once.

Analyzing the above, you will notice that nothing was said about the apostrophe. However, this symbol is a spelling symbol, not a punctuation symbol. Therefore, we cannot talk about him in this context.

History of Russian punctuation

In the Russian Empire, punctuation as such did not exist until the second half of the 15th century. It was only in the 80s that the dot began to be used.

About 40 years later, commas began to be used in grammar.

The combination of these characters into one (semicolon) happened later. Moreover, checking the punctuation of ancient texts showed that it initially served as a question mark. So if, when reading a document dating back to earlier than the 18th century, there is a question mark, we can conclude that the paper is probably a fake.

However, since the 18th century. a special symbol began to be used to indicate a question. By the way, during the same period, the exclamation mark began to be used in the empire, which initially signaled surprise, and not an exclamation. That is why it was called "amazing".

The first paired symbols in the grammar of the Russian language were parentheses, first noted when checking punctuation in a document of 1619.

Dashes, quotation marks and ellipsis also appeared only in the 18th century. Moreover, one of their first and main popularizers was Nikolai Karamzin.

Unusual punctuation marks that are not used in modern Russian

In addition to the symbols that are well known to us, there are a number of signs that are not recognized by Russian and many other grammars. If you try to put them in a text editor, you will definitely receive a message about the need to correct the punctuation in the sentence.

Interrobang is a hybrid of question and exclamation marks.
A rhetorical question mark that looks like a mirror image of a regular symbol of this kind. It was used in English only for a few decades at the end of the 17th century.
Ironic sign. Externally similar to the above, but slightly smaller and placed at the beginning of the sentence. Originated in France in the 19th century.
A love symbol that is recommended to be used in greeting cards. It looks like a question mark and its reflection, together forming a heart.
The consonant symbol looks like two exclamation marks written from one point. Symbolizes the expression of goodwill.
A sign of confidence. It looks like an exclamation symbol crossed out in the form of a cross.
Authoritative. Similar to the previous one, but it is crossed out not by the direct line, but by the league. Used in orders or advice.
Asterism. Looks like three stars arranged in an inverted pyramid. Previously, it served to separate semantic chapters, as well as parts of books, or to indicate minor breaks in a long text.
Exclamation and question commas. Designed for intonational highlighting of words or phrases within a sentence.

77. Principles of Russian punctuation, functions and types of punctuation marks.

The punctuation system of the Russian language is built on a syntactic basis; almost all punctuation rules are formulated depending on the structure of the sentence.

Although the Russian language has many rules for mandatory punctuation, Russian punctuation has great flexibility: there are various punctuation options that are associated not only with the meaning, but also with the stylistic features of the text.

Functions of punctuation marks.

Punctuation marks indicate the semantic division of the text; they also help to identify the syntactic structure of the text and its rhythm and melody.

Types of punctuation marks:

emphasis signs (their functions are to designate the boundaries of syntactic constructions that complement and explain the members of a sentence; intonation-semantic highlighting of parts of a sentence, constructions containing an address or attitude of the speaker to his statement): two commas and two dashes (single paired signs), brackets, quotes;
signs of separation (their functions are designation of boundaries between separate independent sentences, between homogeneous members of a sentence, between simple sentences as part of a complex one; indication of the type of sentence according to the purpose of the statement, according to emotional coloring): period, question and exclamation marks, comma, semicolon , colon, dash, ellipsis;
a special punctuation mark is the red line (indicates the beginning of a new turn in the narrative).

Punctuation marks can be single or paired. Paired punctuation marks indicate that the placement of the first punctuation mark requires the placement of the second. These include two commas and two dashes (as single characters), parentheses and quotation marks.

78. Punctuation marks at the end of a sentence.

The period is placed at the end of declarative and motivating non-exclamatory sentences (They went for a walk in the forest.);

Note: if at the end of a sentence there is a period indicating an abbreviated word, then the second period indicating the end of the sentence is not placed: In the store you can buy pens, notebooks, pencils, etc.

a question mark is placed at the end of an interrogative sentence (Why don’t people fly?);
an exclamation point is placed at the end of an exclamation sentence (How good it is to live in the world!);
an ellipsis is placed as at the end of a sentence when the statement is incomplete (Dubrovsky was silent... Suddenly he raised his head, his eyes sparkled.);

Note: an ellipsis can also be placed in the middle of a sentence when there is a break in speech. (I don’t want... like this.)

79. Dash between members of a sentence.

Dash between subject and predicate.

1. A dash is placed between the subject and the predicate:

with a zero connective (i.e. in the absence of a linking verb), while the subjects and predicate are expressed by a noun or a cardinal numeral in the nominative case, an infinitive. (My mother is a teacher.)
if the predicate is preceded by the words this, that means it means (Defending the Motherland is our duty.)

2. There is no dash between the subject and the predicate:

if comparative conjunctions are used as a connective: as if, as if, exactly, like, etc. (This house is like a block.),
if the subject is expressed by a personal pronoun (the dash in this case is considered as the author's) (She is a ballerina.),
if the predicate is preceded by a negative particle not (Poverty is not a vice.),
if the predicate is preceded by a secondary member of the sentence that is not consistent with it (Plato is my friend, but the truth is more precious.),
if between the main members of the sentence there is an introductory word, adverb or particle (Ivan is also a student. His father, apparently, is an engineer.),
in conversational style sentences (His brother is a student.).

A dash in an incomplete sentence.

A dash is placed in an incomplete sentence if a predicate (most often) or some other part of the sentence is missing, but it can be easily restored from the context or from the situation (She went home, he went to the cinema),
If for a sentence the absence of a predicate is the norm, then a dash is not placed (the predicate is implied and can be easily guessed from the content of the sentence itself): Again, at the hour of a night cloud above the ground.

Intonation dash.

1. An intonation dash is placed at the point where a sentence breaks down into word groups in order to emphasize the semantic relationships between the members of the sentence and help the reader correctly connect words according to meaning (For children, this needs to be explained.)

Connecting dash.

1. A dash is placed:

between words to designate a certain space (train Nikolaev - Moscow), quantity (buy two or three kilograms of sweets) or a period of time (Revolution of 1905-1907), if it replaces the meaning of the construction “from... to”,
between proper names, the totality of which is some name (a teaching, a scientific institution, etc.): the Boyle-Mariotte law, the match “CSKA - Lokomotiv”.

80. Punctuation marks for homogeneous members.

1. If homogeneous members of a sentence are not connected by conjunctions, but only by intonation, then a comma is placed between them (They gave me candy, balls, toys.);

Note. If homogeneous members of a sentence are common and there are commas inside them, then they can be separated by a semicolon (I took a walk in public gardens, parks; I went to visit Katerina, Peter, Matvey; I called Anna, Andrey, Inna.).

2. Homogeneous members of a sentence, connected by non-repeating conjunctions:

if homogeneous members of a sentence are connected by non-repeating adversative conjunctions, then a comma is placed between them (It was not I who did this, but he.),
if homogeneous members of a sentence are connected by non-repeating connecting or disjunctive conjunctions, then a comma is not placed between them (Marina and Olga came into the class. Did Pushkin or Lermontov write this?);
A comma is not placed before the conjunction yes and (I'll take it and leave.) and before the conjunction and, if it is followed by the demonstrative pronoun that, that, then, those (The child will cope with this task.);

3. Homogeneous members of a sentence connected by repeating conjunctions:

a comma is placed before repeated conjunctions and...and, yes...yes, neither...nor, or...or, whether...li, either...either, then...then, etc. . (In this store you can buy notebooks, pens, and books.),

Note. For homogeneous members of a sentence connected by repeating conjunctions, a comma is placed after each homogeneous member (Teachers, students, and their parents came to the concert.).

if homogeneous members are closely related in meaning, then a comma is not placed between them (Both summer and autumn were rainy.),
A comma is also not placed if homogeneous members of the sentence are part of integral expressions (neither for themselves nor for people, neither this nor that).

4. A coordinating conjunction can connect homogeneous members of a sentence in pairs, and then the pairs are separated from each other by commas, and within the pairs a comma is not placed (The students in the class were 55 smart and stupid, excellent students and poor students),

5. A comma is placed before the second part of the double conjunction (I am the same age as you); double conjunctions are both...so and, not so...as, not so much...as, not only...but also, although and...but, if not...then, as much. ..how much, how...so much.

The main cases of placing punctuation marks for homogeneous members of a sentence:

[o, o, o, o] [o and o] [o, a o] [o, o, o and o] [and o, and o, and o] [o, and o, and o] [o and oh, oh and oh] [both oh and oh]

Generalizing words with homogeneous members of a sentence (main cases of punctuation marks).

1. [O: oh, oh, oh] Everyone came to the meeting: teachers and students.

[Oh, cc. words: o, o, o] Everyone came to the meeting, namely: teachers and students.

2. [oh, oh, oh - O] Children, old people, women - everything mixed in a living stream.

[oh, oh, o-vv. words, O] Children, old people, women - in a word, everything mixed up in a living stream

3. [O: oh, oh, oh -...] And all this: the river, and the willow twigs, and this boy - reminded me of the distant days of childhood.

81. Punctuation marks for repeated words.

If the same word is repeated in a sentence to convey the duration or intensity of an action, then a comma is added (I’m going, I’m going home across the field.),
If repeated words represent a lexical formation, which is like one complex word, then they are written with a hyphen (Far, far beyond the sea.),
A comma is not used if

The predicates are repeated, and between them there is a particle like this (To go like this.),
the same word is repeated (possibly in different forms) and the second word is used with the negative particle not (I saw a bush not a bush, a tree not a tree).

82. Punctuation marks in sentences with isolated parts of the sentence.

Definitions.

a) Separated:

common definitions expressed by participial phrases or adjectives with dependent words, standing after the word being defined (I saw an old woman carrying a large bag and decided to help her.);
two or more single definitions standing after the word being defined (Spring has come, sunny, bright.);
a single definition, standing after the word being defined, if it has an additional adverbial meaning (usually causal or concessions) (Mom, tired, sat down in a chair.);
common or single definitions, standing immediately before the word being defined, if they have additional adverbial meaning (Barely alive, they reached the city.);
a common or single definition, if it is separated from the word being defined by other members of the sentence (Drenched in the sun, buckwheat and wheat fields lay across the river.);
definition, if the word being defined is a personal pronoun (She ran out into the yard, flushed.)
inconsistent definitions, in order to tear them away from the neighboring member of the sentence or if it is necessary to emphasize the meaning they convey (Boys, in black suits, with bouquets of flowers, went to congratulate their teachers on March 8.).

b) Not separated:

common definitions, expressed by participial phrases or adjectives with dependent words and has no meaning, standing in front of the word being defined (The boy who entered the class is our new student.);
common definitions, expressed by participial phrases or adjectives with dependent words, depending on and following an indefinite pronoun (I saw something like a barn.).

Applications.

Separated:

a) commas

common applications expressed by a noun with dependent words that come after the word being defined (less often - before) (The old woman, Grishka’s mother, died, but the old people, father and father-in-law, were still alive.);
applications depending on personal pronouns (I, Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov, declare...);
single applications that refer to a common noun with explanatory words (Here on a wide street they met General Zhukov’s cook, an old man.);
applications depending on proper names if they come after the word being defined (Yesterday Ivan Petrovich, the school director, gathered us in the assembly hall.);
applications expressed by a proper name, if they can be preceded without changing the meaning, namely, that is (The next one on the list, Silin, turned out to be a tall and broad-shouldered man.);
applications that are joined by the union as or words by name, by surname, etc. and which have additional circumstantial meaning (As an honest man, he must now marry her.);

applications that can be preceded by words, namely (He broke the tree - oak.); - common applications at the end of a sentence (The sun was shining high in the sky - a very clear and hot sun of the Kyiv summer.);
applications relating only to one of the homogeneous members (I met my cousin, Misha - my fiancé, Pavel and Oksana.).

Additions.

Additions may or may not be isolated depending on the semantic load that the author has put into the sentence.

Usually, phrases are isolated, conventionally called additions, which are expressed by nouns with prepositions except, except, instead, lomimo, excluding, etc. and which have a restrictive or expansive meaning (I really liked the story, except for some details.). Circumstances.

a) Separated:

common circumstances, expressed by participial phrases, and single circumstances, expressed by gerunds (Entering the room, he greeted everyone present. When I woke up, for a long time I could not understand where I was.);
circumstances expressed by adverbs or nouns are isolated if they explain or clarify other circumstances (place and time); usually the structure is: before? (the main circumstance) where exactly? (dependent circumstance); When? (circumstance that is the main one) when exactly? (dependent circumstance): In the room, in the corner, there is a closet. Later, in ten years, you will regret your words.
circumstances introduced by words besides, despite, somehow, not counting, despite, etc., which clarify or limit the meaning of the words being defined (it is mandatory to isolate only the construction starting with despite): Despite the frost, they let's go to the forest.
stable expressions expressed by participial phrases, which act as introductory expressions (To be honest, I don’t like this.)

b) Not separated:

single gerunds that do not denote an additional action and are close to adverbs (The sister slowly opened her bag.);
circumstances expressed by gerunds with dependent words, if they represent a stable combination (They worked with their sleeves rolled up.)

83. Clarifying, explanatory and connecting members of the proposal.

Separated:

words that clarify the content of the sentence, but are not connected with the previous expression by any special words (the words namely, without changing the meaning, can be placed before the clarifying expression): Five houses, two on the main street and three in the alley, were put into use.

Note. Sometimes a dash is used instead of a comma.

most often, the clarifying members of a sentence are circumstances of place and time, as well as definitions (He went to the right, along the road. This is a large work, five hundred pages.)
connecting phrases introduced by the words even, especially, including, etc., which introduce additional comments and explanations (He wrote a large essay, and a good one at that.)

84. Punctuation marks for comparative phrases.

1. Comparative phrases starting with words as if, as if, rather than, exactly, etc. separated by commas (I like cinema more than/than theater.)

2. Revolutions with a conjunction are separated by commas:

if they denote simile and do not contain any additional shades of meaning (The night was approaching and growing like a thundercloud.).
if before the phrase there are demonstrative words so, such, that, so (His facial features were the same as his sister’s.),
if the phrase is introduced into the sentence with the combination like and (I have been to London, as well as to other European cities.),
if this combination of type is none other than and nothing other than (None other than a tall palace rose in front.)

3. Revolutions with conjunctions are not separated by commas:

if the adverbial meaning is in the foreground (The ring burns like heat - can be replaced with the combination burns with heat),
if the meaning of equating or identifying is in the foreground (I’m telling you this as a doctor.),
if the turnover is part of a complex predicate or is closely related to it in meaning (Work as work.),
if the turnover is a stable expression (Everything went like clockwork.),
if there is a negative particle not before the phrase (I did not act like a patriot.).

85. Punctuation marks for introductory words and phrases

Introductory words and phrases.

Introductory words and phrases are separated by commas (You apparently do not share our views.),

if the introductory phrase forms an incomplete construction, i.e. if any word is missing that can be restored from the context, then a dash is placed instead of a comma (On the one hand, she does not know how to cook, on the other, she wants to learn it.).
punctuation marks for homogeneous members of a sentence with a generalized word in the presence of an introductory word or phrase:

[Oh, cc. el.: o, o, o] Everyone came to the meeting, namely: teachers and students.

[o, o, o - vv. ate., O] Children, old people, women - in a word, everything mixed up in a living stream.

some words can be either introductory words and separated by commas, or parts of a sentence:

	is an introductory word	is not an introductory word
finally	- indicates the connection of thoughts, the order of presentation - gives an assessment of the fact from the point of view. speaker (Come in, finally!)	- equal in meaning to after all, finally, as a result of everything
in the end	- the same function as “finally” (Shut up, after all!)	- (We walked and walked and finally arrived.) - the same function as “finally”. (They argued for a long time and eventually made a decision that suited everyone.)
however	- stands in the middle or at the end of a sentence (Look, however, how he spoke!)	- stands at the beginning of a sentence or between homogeneous members of a sentence and is an adversative conjunction (I didn’t want to see her anymore, but I had to.) Exception: in sentences like: “However, it’s a cold spring today!” the word “however” is at the beginning of the sentence, acts as an interjection and is separated by a comma
Certainly	- usually acts as a water word (Of course, I will help you.)	- can act as a particle (Of course I would go there...)
Means	- if equal in meaning to the words therefore, therefore (I didn’t see her at school today, which means she was really sick.)	- if it plays the role of a predicate in a sentence (the meaning is close to the word means) (She means too much to me to deceive her.)
at all	- if the combination is equal in meaning generally speaking (Actually, this is very interesting)	- in other meanings (He generally forbade going out after twelve)
mainly	- if the combination is equal in meaning, the most important thing is (To prepare for the lesson, you need to read the theory and, mainly, complete the assignments.)	- if equal in meaning to the words predominantly, basically, most of all (He survived mainly thanks to his friends.)
anyway	- if it has a restrictive value (At least I didn't say that.)	- if relevant under any circumstances ([In any case, he will never leave his former pet.)
in your queue	- if used in a figurative meaning. (The following minor members are distinguished: definition, addition and circumstance, in the group of the latter, in turn, by the circumstance of place).	- if used in a meaning close to direct (“And you?” I asked Lena in turn.)

if the introductory word is at the beginning or end of a separate common member of a sentence, then it is not separated from it by a comma, and if it is in the middle, then it is separated by commas (The young man, apparently having recently graduated from college, made many mistakes when answering. The young man the man, who had apparently recently graduated from college, made many mistakes in his answers.)
if the introductory word can be omitted or rearranged, then it is separated by a comma from the preceding coordinating conjunction; if this is impossible, then a comma is placed only after the introductory word, and on the border between the conjunction and the introductory word is placed (Firstly, he is very busy and, secondly, he does not want to see you. The misfortune did not change him at all, but on the contrary, it made it even stronger.)
introductory sentences are highlighted: with commas, if they are small in volume (For me, you know, everything has always worked out.) or if they are introduced using conjunctions like, how many, if (Today, as the newspapers report, a rally will take place in the center of Moscow.) ;
dashes if they are common (They - I noticed this right away - wanted to get rid of me as quickly as possible.);
Inserted constructions are highlighted in brackets (unlike introductory sentences, they do not express the speaker’s attitude to what was said, but contain some kind of incidental or additional remarks): One evening (this was in the fall of 1912)...

86. Punctuation marks when addressing.

addresses are separated from other members of the sentence by commas (Alyosha, come to me, please.),
sometimes an exclamation point is placed after the address at the beginning of the sentence (Kirill! Why are you taking so long there?),
the particle o standing before the address is not separated from it by a comma (Oh Moscow, you are so beautiful!),
between repeated addresses connected by the conjunction a, a comma is placed, and after the conjunction itself, it is not placed (Fal, but fallen, buy me this toy.),
if two addresses are connected by a non-repeating connecting conjunction, then a comma is not placed between them (Hello, sun and merry morning).

87. Punctuation marks for interjections, affirmative and negative words.

interjections from sentence members are separated by commas (Life, alas, is not an eternal gift.),
if the interjection is pronounced with an exclamatory intonation, then an exclamation mark is placed instead of a comma (Hurray! Our team wins the match)),
particles o, well, ah, oh, which are used to enhance the semantic connotation, are not distinguished by commas (Oh yes, you are absolutely right. Oh, that’s what you are! Well, no, that’s too much.),
the word yes (expresses an affirmation) and the word no (expresses a negation) are separated from the sentence by a comma or exclamation mark (Yes, that is exactly what I want to say. No, you are mistaken.)

88. Punctuation marks in complex sentences.

A comma is placed between simple sentences in the Compound, regardless of what kind of conjunction they are connected with: connective, adversative, disjunctive, adjunctive or explanatory (The sky frowned, and soon a thunderstorm broke out. He had already forgotten everything, but she could not forgive him. Either the sun is shining very brightly, or my eyesight has become completely bad.).
If the phenomena spoken of in parts (of a complex sentence) quickly follow each other or are opposed to each other, then a dash is placed (A rocket fired - and everything around rumbled.).
There is no comma:

if parts of a compound sentence have a common member of a sentence or a common subordinate clause and if they are connected by connecting conjunctions and, yes (in the meaning and) or separating conjunctions or, or, then a comma is not placed between them (Cars raced through the streets and trams thundered. When did it start rain, the game stopped and everyone went queen.).
between noun clauses connected by connecting conjunctions and, yes (meaning and) or disjunctive conjunctions or, or (Walking in the park and riding a bicycle.),
between interrogative sentences connected by connecting conjunctions and, yes (meaning and) or disjunctive conjunctions or, or (When are we leaving and what time does the train leave?)

Two impersonal sentences in a complex sentence are separated by a comma (It got dark and it became cool.), BUT if the predicates are homogeneous in meaning, then a comma is not placed (You need to wash the floor and then you should wipe it dry.)

Punctuation marks in complex sentences.

If the subordinate clause comes before or after the main clause, then it is separated by a comma (When I came home, everyone was already asleep. The glory of those who die for the fatherland does not die.). If the subordinate clause is in the middle of the main clause, then it is separated by commas on both sides (In the evening, when I no longer had the strength to work, I went to the embankment.).
If a subordinate clause is attached to the main clause using conjunctions because, because, since, in order to, despite the fact that, etc., then the comma is placed only once either before the entire complex conjunction or before its second partly (I didn’t come because I had a lot to do. I came to express my condolences to you.)
If subordinate clauses depend on the same member of the main clause, then the rules for placing punctuation marks between them are the same as for homogeneous members of the sentence:

At the junction of two subordinating conjunctions or a subordinating and coordinating conjunction, a comma is placed between them only if the omission of the subordinate clause does not require a complete restructuring of the sentence (Masha said that when she comes next time, she will bring her fiance.); if the second part of the subordinate clause begins with the words how, but, then a comma is not placed (Masha said that when she comes next time, she will bring her fiance.)
Sometimes, when underlining intonation, before explanatory and conditional clauses with a conjunction, not a comma is placed, but a dash (I was sent some books, but I don’t know which ones yet.)

Punctuation marks in a non-union complex sentence.

Between the parts of a non-union complex sentence the following can be placed:

a comma if the parts are independent of each other, but united in meaning (The horses started moving, the bell rang, the carriage flew.),
semicolon, if there are commas inside one or both parts or if the sentences are far apart in meaning (the sentence splits into two semantic parts): Gerasim grabbed Mumu. squeezed her in his arms; in an instant she licked his nose, eyes, mustache and beard.
colon if
1. the second sentence explains the reason or tells about the consequences of what is said in the first sentence (They were silent the whole way: the noise of the engine prevented them from talking.),
2. if in the first sentence there are words see, hear, know, etc., which prompt the reader that a statement of some facts will follow (I understood: she wanted me to leave.),
3. If a quotation is syntactically related to the text, then it is enclosed in quotation marks, but written with a small letter (Pushkin wrote that “the habit has been given to us from above.”)
4. Quoting can be framed as direct speech. (Pushkin said: “The habit has been given to us from above.”)
5. If the quotation is not taken in full, then an ellipsis is placed at the gap, either at the beginning or at the end (Depending on where the text is trimmed). If the sentence in this case begins with a quotation, then it is formatted as follows: “...Quoting” the text itself. (A capital letter is written even if the original is written in lowercase).
1. When a comma and a dash meet, both a comma and a dash are written (The woman performing on stage is my mother.),
2. When encountering quotation marks:
  - with a dot, quotes are written first, and then a dot. She said: “Come in.”),
  - with a question mark, exclamation mark or ellipsis, in direct speech the question mark, exclamation mark or ellipsis is written first, then the quotation marks. Even if this is the end of the entire sentence, there is no period after the quotation marks (She asked: “What do you think about this issue?”),
  - with the same signs, but when only certain members of the sentence are enclosed in quotation marks, an exclamation mark, a question mark and an ellipsis are placed depending on the construction of the entire sentence (Have you ever watched “White Sun of the Desert”?),
3. If the comma appears before the closing or opening parenthesis, then it is skipped; if after the closing one, it remains.
Authors do not always follow the rules of punctuation. Often they find their own, special use for them, and this achieves special expressiveness and beauty of the text. This punctuation is called the author's use of punctuation marks.

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.

Enumeration and homogeneous members

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.

Definition with personal pronoun

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.

Separate definition

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.

Special circumstances

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

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.

Appeals

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?)

Comma in a complex sentence

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.

Exception: unifying word

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.

Comma or colon?

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.

Sentences containing "how"

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: " As your mother, I won’t let you 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.)

Formal signs of the need for a comma: to trust or not?

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. 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!

There are only 10 punctuation marks. But in writing they help to express all the variety of shades of meaning in oral speech. The same sign can be used in different cases. And at the same time play a different role. 20 chapters outline the main patterns of punctuation marks that are studied at school. All rules are illustrated with clear examples. Give them special attention. If you remember the example, you will avoid mistakes.

Introduction: What is punctuation?
§1. Meaning of the term punctuation
§2. What punctuation marks are used in written speech in Russian?
§3. What role do punctuation marks play?
Chapter 1. Signs of completeness and incompleteness of thought. Period, question mark, exclamation point. Ellipsis
Period, question and exclamation marks
Ellipsis at the end of a sentence
Chapter 2. Signs of incompleteness of a statement. Comma, semicolon
§1. Comma
§2. Semicolon
Chapter 3. Sign of incompleteness of a statement. Colon
Why do you need a colon?
Colon in a simple sentence
Colon in a complex sentence
Chapter 4. Sign of incompleteness of a statement. Dash
§1. Dash
§2. Double dash
Chapter 5. Double signs. Quotes. Brackets
§1. Quotes
§2. Brackets
Chapter 6. Punctuation of a simple sentence. Dash between subject and predicate
A dash is placed
There is no dash
Chapter 7. Punctuation of a simple sentence with a complex structure. Punctuation marks for homogeneous members
§1. Punctuation marks for homogeneous members without a generalizing word
§2. Punctuation marks for homogeneous members with a generalizing word
Chapter 8. Punctuation of a simple sentence complicated by a separate definition
§1. Separating agreed definitions
§2. Separating inconsistent definitions
§3. Segregation of applications
Chapter 9. Punctuation of a simple sentence complicated by a separate circumstance
Circumstances are isolated
Circumstances are not isolated
Chapter 10. Punctuation of a simple sentence, complicated by clarifying or explanatory members of the sentence.
§1. Clarification
§2. Explanation
Chapter 11. Punctuation of a simple sentence complicated by introductory words, introductory sentences and inserted constructions
§1. Sentences with introductory words
§2. Sentences with introductory sentences
§3. Offers with plug-in structures
Chapter 12. Punctuation when addressing
Addresses and their punctuation in writing
Chapter 13. Punctuation in comparative phrases
§1. Separate comparative turns with commas
§2. Turns with a conjunction: comparative and non-comparative
Chapter 14. Punctuation in direct speech
§1. Punctuation of direct speech accompanied by the words of the author
§2. Dialogue punctuation