Single participles after the specified word. Participial phrase: example, definition, rules

In order to give expressiveness to written speech, one of the means is used - the participial phrase. Examples of its use can be found in literature since ancient times. After all, it came from the Old Church Slavonic language. This explains the use of the participial phrase in writing, since Old Church Slavonic is the language of church literature. Our ancestors spoke Old Russian.

Participial phrase: definition

The participle and the dependent words adjacent to it are called a simple phrase - a participial phrase. Example: girl jumping rope. Here jumping rope is a participial phrase. It consists of several parts: the participle itself, dependent words, and the word being defined. The participial phrase in a sentence is a separate definition. It is necessary to distinguish between adverbial and participial phrases. Examples:

I finally read a book that had been collecting dust on the shelf for a long time.

The participial phrase “long gathering dust on a shelf” plays the role of a separate definition (answers the question: which one?).

The puppy, scared of us, ran away.

In this sentence there is an adverbial phrase: “frightened of us.” It is adjacent to the predicate verb “ran away”, in addition, it answers the question: what did you do? and is a circumstance.

The participle is the main component of the participial phrase

The participle combines the characteristics of a verb and an adjective. From the verb, this part of speech took reflexivity, aspect, tense (present and past) and transitivity. What the participle has in common with an adjective is the ability to change by gender, number and case, the possibility of forming a short form, as well as the questions: which one? which? For example:

thinking(which?) - denotes the one who thinks;
having turned th (which?) - denotes the one who transformed;
built(which one?) - means what was built.

There are still debates about the participle as an independent part of speech. Some linguists define it as a special form of the verb.

What else does the participial phrase contain?

In addition to the participle, the participle phrase includes:

1. Dependent words. They are asked a direct question from the participle. For example:

Table covered with a tablecloth.

In this case, “covered” is a participle. Answers the question: which one? Denotes a sign by action (the one that is covered). From communion we ask a question about the word tablecloth (covered with what? - tablecloth). Accordingly, “good riddance” is a dependent word.

2. The word being defined is the one to which the participial phrase refers. Example:

Child running around the apartment.

“Running around the apartment” is a participial phrase (“running” is a participle, the dependent word is “around the apartment”). For this participial phrase we ask a question from the word “child”. What child? Running around the apartment. This means that the word being defined is “child”.

Isolation rule

Let us consider cases in which the participial phrase is isolated (set off by commas). Examples, the rule is as follows: if the part of speech we are considering comes after the word being defined, then it must be indicated by commas.

The flower growing in the vacant lot was very beautiful.

Here the defined word is “flower”, the participial phrase is “growing in a vacant lot.” A separate definition is placed after the word being defined and, accordingly, is separated by commas.

Let's look at another example: The flower growing in the vacant lot was very beautiful.

In this case, the position of the participial phrase has changed: the word being defined comes after the separate definition, so commas are not needed.

However, there are cases in which commas are necessary:

When the word-personal pronoun is defined, the participial phrase is always isolated. Example: Anticipating trouble, I tossed and turned in bed for a long time. The participial phrase “anticipating trouble” refers to the personal pronoun “I”, therefore it is separated by commas, regardless of position. Let's compare: I, sensing trouble, tossed and turned in bed for a long time.
The additional meaning of a circumstance that has a participial turn. For example: Blinded by the glare of the sea, we did not dare to enter the water for a long time.. Here the participial phrase “blinded by the glare of the sea” has the additional meaning of reason: from the predicate you can ask an additional question: why didn’t you decide for a long time? Because they were blinded by the glare of the sea.
Other members of the sentence separate the word being defined and the participial phrase. Example: Showing the first rays, the month appears in the sky. Here the participial phrase is “showing the first rays”, and the defined word is “month”. Between them there are also the predicate “appears” and the adverbial preposition “in the sky.” In this case, it is necessary to separate the participial phrase with commas.

When commas are not needed

There are cases when commas are not required in participial phrases. We have already examined one of the options when the participial phrase will not be separated by commas: if it is located before the word being defined.

A sun-soaked world surrounded us.

With this position of the participial phrase, commas are not needed.

There are two more cases when it is not necessary to highlight the participial phrase. Examples:

1. If it refers not only to the subject, but also to the predicate:

We ran to the tent soaking wet.

In this case, it is possible to ask a question about the participial phrase “wet through” both from the subject pronoun “we” (which?), but also from the predicate “ran” (in what way?).

2. The accusative case of the personal pronoun acting as the word being defined. For example:

We found him lying on the battlefield.

The word being defined is the personal pronoun “him”, standing in the accusative case (whom?).

What conclusion can be drawn from all of the above? If you don’t know whether to isolate the participial phrase or not, pay attention to the following points:

The location of the phrase relative to the word being defined.
How is the word being defined expressed and in what form does it appear.

Separation(emphasis added by commas) agreed upon definitions depend on several factors:

a) from the part of speech of the defined (main) word;
b) from the position of the definition in relation to the defined (main) word - before the main word, after the main word;
c) from the presence of additional shades of meaning in the definition (adverbial, explanatory);
d) on the degree of distribution and method of expression of the definition.

Conditions for separating agreed definitions

A) The word being defined is a pronoun

1. Definitions that refer to personal pronouns ( I, you, we, you, he, she, it, they), are separated. The degree of distribution of the definition, the method of its expression (participle, adjective), position in relation to the main word usually do not play a role:

I , taught by experience, I will be more attentive to her. She's tired she fell silent and looked around. AND, tired of your happiness, He fell asleep immediately.

2. Definitions that refer to negative pronouns ( nobody, nothing), indefinite pronouns ( someone, something, someone, something), are usually not isolated, since they form a single whole with pronouns:

Can't compare to this novel nothing previously written by the author. There was a flash on his face something similar to a smile.

Notes

1) With a less close connection, if there is a pause after an indefinite pronoun, the attributive phrase is isolated. For example: AND somebody , sweaty and out of breath, runs from store to store(Panova).

2) Adjectives or participles with or without dependent words, associated with the attributive pronoun all, are not isolated if the adjective or participle acts as the main word, and the pronoun all acts as a dependent attribute. For example: Everyone late for the lecture stood in the corridor. (cf.: Late to the lecture stood in the corridor). If the main word is the pronoun all, and the attributive phrase explains or clarifies it, then such a phrase is isolated. For example: All , railway related, is still covered in the poetry of travel for me(cf.: All still filled with the poetry of travel for me).

B) The word being defined is a noun

1. A common definition (participle or adjective with dependent words), homogeneous single definitions are isolated if they appear after the noun being defined. Such definitions are usually not isolated if they appear before the noun being defined.

Wed: Glades, strewn with leaves, were full of sun. - Leaf-strewn meadows were full of sun; I especially liked eyes big and sad. - I especially liked big and sad eyes.

Notes

1) Common and homogeneous single definitions that appear after a noun are not isolated if the noun needs a definition, if without this definition the statement does not have a complete meaning. In oral speech, it is these definitions that the logical emphasis falls on, and there is no pause between the defined word and the definition. For example: Instead of a cheerful life in St. Petersburg, boredom awaited me off to the side, deaf and distant (Pushkin). Somewhere in this world there is life pure, elegant, poetic (Chekhov).

2) A single adjective after a noun is usually not isolated. For example: To a young man the old man's worries are incomprehensible. A single definition can be isolated only if it has an additional adverbial meaning (it can be replaced with a subordinate clause with conjunctions if, when, because, although and etc.). In oral speech, isolated single definitions are necessarily pronounced with pauses. For example: Young a person in love, it’s impossible not to spill the beans(Turgenev). - It is impossible for a young man, if he is in love, not to spill the beans; People, amazed, became like stones(M. Gorky). - People have become like stones, because they were amazed. However, such a selection is always the author’s (!).

2. Before the defined noun there is a common definition (participle or adjective with dependent words), homogeneous single definitions are isolated only if they have an additional adverbial meaning (you can ask questions about them Why? in spite of what? and etc.; they can be replaced with adverbial clauses with conjunctions because although and etc.). In oral speech, such definitions are necessarily distinguished by pauses.

Wed: Always cheerful and lively, nurses Now they moved concentratedly and silently around Tanya (Cossacks). - Although the nurses were always cheerful and lively, now they moved concentratedly and silently around Tanya.

However, such separation is usually optional and not mandatory. And depending on the intonation (the presence of pauses or their absence), the same definition in the position before the main word - the noun will be isolated or not isolated.

Wed: Wounded in the head, scout couldn't crawl (Since the scout was wounded in the head, he couldn't crawl- pause after a noun to the head). - Scout wounded in the head couldn't crawl(pause after noun scout).

3. Common and single definitions are isolated if they are torn off from the defined noun by other members of the sentence (regardless of whether they are located before the main word or after it).

For example:

1. angry, gloomy, walked around the room(Chekhov). Homogeneous single definitions angry, gloomy refer to a noun Kashtanka and separated from it by predicates stretched, yawned.

2. To meet me clean and clear,, the sound of a bell came(Turgenev). Definitions clean and clear, as if washed by the morning coolness come before the defined noun sounds, but separated from it by other members of the sentence - the predicate brought.

Note!

1) If a separate definition is in the middle of a sentence, then it is separated by commas on both sides.

Glades, strewn with leaves, were full of sun.

2) The attributive phrase that comes after the coordinating conjunction ( and, or, a, but etc.), but not related to it, is separated by a comma from the conjunction according to the general rule.

Kashtanka stretched, yawned and, angry, gloomy, walked around the room.

The conjunction connects homogeneous predicates and has nothing to do with separate definitions. Definitions can be removed, but the union can be retained: Kashtanka stretched, yawned and walked around the room. Therefore, a comma is placed after the conjunction and.

But a comma is not placed between the conjunction (usually the conjunction a) and the attributive phrase if, when the clause is omitted, a restructuring of the sentence is required.

The ball rests on the surface of the pool, A submerged, pops up quickly.

In this case, it is impossible to remove the attributive phrase without the conjunction a.

The ball floats on the surface of the pool and floats up quickly.

3) The adjective and participle associated with the predicate verb are not definitions, but the nominal part of the predicate. Such adjectives and participles do not obey the rules mentioned above.

Wed: To the hut we got there wet; She came running from the club excited and joyful.

Homogeneous adjectives and participial phrases, standing after the defined noun or other parts of speech that acquire an objective meaning in a sentence (subject to substantivization: substantivum - Latin noun), are always isolated in writing, that is separated by a comma. If they are in the middle of sentences, they are separated by commas on both sides.

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Peculiarities

What is a separate agreed upon definition? This is how the part of speech that performs a defining function is called in syntax. Most often, this role is played by adjectives, as well as participles with one or more dependent words. Definitions are minor members in the sentence, belong to the subject group, and are emphasized with a wavy line: The bright sun was blinding. White clouds floated across the sky. Golden autumn has arrived.

In writing, separate definitions are separated by commas, in oral speech - intonation. They can be common and solitary. The location of attributive constructions inside sentences (after or before the main word) determines whether they will be highlighted in writing with commas or not.

Examples:

He, |full|, quickly fell asleep. - Single.

He, lulled by hopes, slept soundly. – Common definition.

The moon, |mysterious and pale|, peeked out from behind the clouds. – It comes after the main word.

|Pale and mysterious| the moon peeked out from behind the clouds. - Comes before the main word.

With separate definitions, they allow you to describe the subject of the story, making the content more complete. They clarify and supplement information about an action or a specific subject. They can be found before or after the main word, as well as in the middle of a syntactic structure. If they are “omitted”, the conveyed meaning will be the same. Night, |cloudy and foggy|, enveloped the earth. - Night has enveloped the earth. -The essence does not change.

Distinguish several varieties separate definitions: homogeneous and heterogeneous, consistent with the main word and inconsistent.

Homogeneous denotes the uniform qualities of an object or phenomenon. In syntactic constructions, they are linked by conjunctions or separated by commas.

Agreed

This is the name for definitions that coincide in gender, number and case with the word, to which they belong. Let's give a few examples and see how each of them expresses the agreed definition:

Possessive adjective: I remembered (what?) my father’s house.
Index: I want to buy (which one?) this bag.
Ordinal number: The first settlement in the region was the city of Tara. Please note that “first” and “populated” are not homogeneous because they express different qualities, so there is no comma between them.
In a single or participial phrase: (which?) The awakened child cried loudly. The road (what?) |leading to the sea| passed through the garden.
with dependent words: Air (what?), |invigorating after the thunderstorm|, hung above the ground.

Communion or participial are not separated by commas if they appear before the word being defined. If a sentence has two participial phrases connected by the conjunction “and,” they are not separated by a comma.

Attention! Distinguish isolated agreed definitions from adjectives and participles that are part of a nominal predicate. It is impossible to remove them from a sentence without losing the meaning.

For example, take the following constructions:

She – “Happy” and “dreamy” – are parts of the nominal predicate.

The boy, tired from the trip, was fast asleep.

A participle phrase is used here, which clarifies why the boy is fast asleep, and if it is removed, the conveyed essence will not change.

There are different conditions for separating definitions of a comma. A punctuation mark is placed if:

stands after the main word expressed by a noun: Herbs, |very useful|, grow in protected places (agreed common);
removed from the defining noun: Bathed in the sun|, wheat fields spread across the river;
refers to a personal pronoun and comes before or after it: I returned to Zurin (which one?), |sad and silent|. |Exhausted, dirty, wet|, we finally reached the shore;
has the nature of a reason: (what?) |Stunned by the blow|, he fell backward. - Why did you fall? - Because of the impact. (Which one?) He ran as fast as he could, |overtaken by horror|. – Why did he run? – Because of fear;
the sentence contains two or more definitions (homogeneous or heterogeneous) after the main word: People appeared at the station (what kind?), fussy and noisy. (Which ones?), |White, blue, red|, were colorful in the clearing. – In the first case, homogeneous definitions with the conjunction “and” are used, and in the second – with a non-union connection.

Important! If the attributive construction stands before the noun, then it is not separated by a comma: |Satisfied with the vacation| we're back home.

Uncoordinated

Such designs do not change along with the defined word . Basic ways of connecting with the main word:

Can be expressed:

nouns in indirect: we met Petya (which one?), |up to his ears in oil|, but happy with the repair of his motorcycle. Grandfather (which one?) was standing on the platform |with a bag at the ready|;
infinitive of the verb: Egor’s life had a goal (what?) – |to become a director|;
adjective in the comparative degree with dependent words: The girls noticed Katya in an outfit (what?), |more strict| than she usually wears.

According to their structure there are:

single: The teacher explained to us the law of (whose?) Archimedes;
common: He settled in a room (which one?) |with a view of the sea|;
uncirculated

There are cases when a comma is not used. If the sentence contains a definition:

is connected simultaneously with the subject and the predicate: After the physical education lesson, the equipment (what?) lay (where?) scattered around the hall. – “Scattered around the hall” refers simultaneously to the subject “inventory” and the predicate “lay.” Depending on the question posed, “scattered around the hall” can also be a circumstance;
stands after a negative pronoun: |hidden from prying eyes| could not hide from the detective.

How to find an isolated definition in a sentence. Punctuation marks help you search. First, find the main members of the sentence, and using the questions asked from them, identify the words that belong to the subject or predicate group. Most often, constructions expressed by the participial phrase are isolated.

Many students experience difficulties in cases where they need to find special syntactic structures in a sentence. Perhaps the central place among them is the participial phrase. The examples and recommendations presented in this article will help deal with this problem.

A participle with one or more dependent words is called a participial phrase.

In a sentence, it performs the function of a coordinated common: “The tourists saw a green forest in the distance. Everyone knew that Kutuzov was gifted with courage that reached the point of heroism” (E. Tarle).

The construction is considered as a whole and is not divided into individual members of the sentence.

How to emphasize such a syntactic formation - with a continuous wavy line.

Note! Participial phrases can only be formed by participles in their full form: “He raised his palm, tightly clenched into a fist.”
The function of short forms is the nominal part of the compound predicate: “Her thin lips were compressed so tightly that they became like a thread.”

Dependent and qualified word

It is necessary to distinguish between two concepts: dependent and defined words. The definition refers to the turnover in the sentence. It is from him that the question is asked: “Along a narrow path (which one?), winding between the rocks, we climb to the observation deck.”

There is only one defined word and is always represented by either a noun or a pronoun. The addict is asked a question from: “Milk spilled (by whom?) by the cat glistened on the floor.” There are one or several similar words in a participial phrase.

Note! The word being defined can appear either before or after the common definition: “Relatives living in the village stayed with us. Relatives living in the village stayed with us.”
It is unacceptable to place the defined word inside the construction: “Relatives living in the village stayed with us.”

Collocations in participial phrases

Although a participle with dependent words is considered as one part of a sentence, if necessary, it can be divided into separate phrases. Their number depends on the number of dependent words included in the construction.

If it consists of only two words, then it will be a phrase with the connection type control or adjacency, for example:

loud (how?) ringing – adjoining;
ringing (what?) a bell - control.

If several dependent words belong to the participle, then more than one phrase is distinguished as part of the common definition. So, " painted with love by the greatest painter" includes the following combinations of words:

written (how?) with love – adjoining
written (by whom?) by a painter – management;
by (what?) the greatest painter – coordination.

Note! If a common definition consists of only two independent words, then a combination of words is formed with the participle as the main one. If several phrases can be distinguished from it, then this condition is removed.

Non-separate and separate participle

Participles with dependent words are isolated only under the following conditions:

If it is behind the word being defined: “A boy who successfully runs a hundred meters is included in the school team.”
If it is located before the word being defined and carries an additional semantic load, it conveys conditional, causal, concessional and other meanings. In this case, the participial phrase is easily replaced by a subordinate construction: “Panted from running, the dog immediately lay down. The dog immediately lay down because he was out of breath from running.”
If it belongs to any of the personal categories. Where the isolated phrase is located in relation to the word being defined is not important in this case: “Struck by fear, I follow my mother. I follow my mother, struck with fear.”
If other members of the sentence tear it away from the word being defined: “Another beam fell, and, having received fresh food, the flame flared up with renewed vigor.”

A participle with dependent words is not isolated if:

It is located immediately before the word being defined (except for the special cases indicated above): “The water that had spilled throughout the area unexpectedly left.”
It comes after indefinite pronouns: “Strange lights flashed in their gaze, once disturbing the soul.”
Placed after the pronoun with a general meaning: “All the workers who came to the meeting laughed at the joke.”

Sentences with participial phrases

Common definitions are often used in book speech. Moreover, within one predicative construction there are sometimes several of them at once. They can refer to either one or different dependent words.

How to determine where the participial phrase is in a simple or complex sentence? To do this, it is recommended to use the following algorithm:

Find the participle.
Use a question to determine which word it depends on.
Identify all parts of speech to which questions can be asked from the selected participle.
Separate the participial phrase with commas. Indicate the structure with vertical lines.

Sentence schemes with participial phrases include not only standard elements (parentheses, punctuation marks and conjunctions), but also vertical lines, between which there is a wavy line - they indicate common definitions.

Simple and complex sentences

Simple sentences usually contain only one common definition: « The bitter frost that struck at night immediately transformed everything” (B. Polevoy). “Abandoned by everyone, Mavra Ilyinichna was delighted.”

However, there are cases when more than one such component is included in their composition. They may refer to the same or different defined words.

“The all-terrain vehicle, which has seen all sorts of things, stopped on the bank of a river, shrouded in morning fog. The horses walked along the steppe, densely overgrown with grass and decorated with spring flowers.”

Complex sentences combine several simple ones.

The scope of such syntactic formations allows them to include both one and several common definitions.

For example: “The girl, embarrassed by such an exceptional illness of her fiancé, could not especially express her sadness and anxiety” (M. Zoshchenko).

“A citizen was rushing about near the lady, tearing off his summer coat and, out of excitement, unable to cope with the sleeve in which his hand was stuck” ().

“Through the cracks in the screens, he saw his room, illuminated for a month, and saw a portrait directly hanging on the wall” (N. Gogol). “Loiseau, who had drawn a deck of cards in a tavern, greasy from five years of playing on poorly wiped tables, started a game of bezique with his wife” (G. Maupassant).

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Let's sum it up

Thus, we tried to give comprehensive answers to the questions: what is a participial phrase and what are the basic rules for its use and spelling? We hope that the article will help in overcoming the difficulties that arise in the process of studying this topic.

If people did not decorate their speech with additional definitions or clarifying circumstances, it would be uninteresting and dull. The entire population of the planet would speak in a business or official style, there would be no fiction books, and children would not have fairy-tale characters waiting for them before bed.

It is the isolated definition found in it that colors speech. Examples can be found both in simple colloquial speech and in fiction.

Definition concept

A definition is part of a sentence and describes a feature of an object. It answers the questions “which one?”, defining the object or “whose?”, indicating that it belongs to someone.

Most often, adjectives perform the defining function, for example:

kind (what?) heart;
gold (what?) nugget;
bright (what?) appearance;
old (what?) friends.

In addition to adjectives, pronouns can be definitions in a sentence, indicating that an object belongs to a person:

the boy took (whose?) his briefcase;
Mom irons (whose?) her blouse;
my brother sent (whose?) my friends home;
father watered (whose?) my tree.

In a sentence, the definition is underlined by a wavy line and always refers to the subject expressed by a noun or other part of speech. This part of a sentence can consist of one word or be combined with other words dependent on it. In this case, these are sentences with separate definitions. Examples:

"Joyful, she announced the news." In this sentence, the single adjective is isolated.
“The garden, overgrown with weeds, was in a deplorable state.” A separate definition is the participial phrase.

“Satisfied with her son’s success, my mother secretly wiped away her tears of joy.” Here, an adjective with dependent words is a separate definition.

Examples in the sentence show that different parts of speech can be a definition of the quality of an object or its belonging.

Separate definitions

Definitions that provide additional information about an item or clarify its belonging to a person are considered separate. The meaning of the sentence will not change if a separate definition is removed from the text. Examples:

“Mom carried the child, who had fallen asleep on the floor, into his crib” - “Mom carried the child into his crib.”

"Excited about her first performance, the girl closed her eyes before going on stage" - "The girl closed her eyes before going on stage."

As you can see, sentences with separate definitions, examples of which are given above, sound more interesting, since additional explanation conveys the state of the object.

Separate definitions can be consistent or inconsistent.

Agreed Definitions

Definitions that agree with the word whose quality is determined in case, gender and number are called consistent. In the proposal they can be presented:

adjective - a (what?) yellow leaf fell from a tree;
pronoun – (whose?) my dog got off the leash;
numeral - give him (what?) a second chance;
communion - in the front garden one could see (what?) green grass.

A separate definition has the same properties in relation to the word being defined. Examples:

“Briefly said (what?), his speech made an impression on everyone.” The participle “said” is in the feminine, singular, nominative case, like the word “speech” that it modifies.
“We went out into the street (which one?), still wet from the rain.” The adjective “wet” has the same number, gender and case as the word it defines, “street”.
“People (what kind?), joyful from the upcoming meeting with the actors, entered the theater.” Since the word being defined is in the plural and nominative case, the definition agrees with it in this.

A separate agreed definition (examples have shown this) can appear either before or after the word being defined, or in the middle of a sentence.

Inconsistent definition

When the definition does not change in gender and number according to the main word, it is inconsistent. They are associated with the defined word in 2 ways:

Adjunction is a combination of stable word forms or an unchangeable part of speech. For example: “He likes (what kind of) soft-boiled eggs.”
Control is the setting of the definition in the case required by the word being defined. They often indicate a feature based on the material, the purpose or location of the item. For example: “the girl sat on a chair (what?) made of wood.”

Several parts of speech may express inconsistent separate definitions. Examples:

A noun in the instrumental or prepositional case with the prepositions “s” or “in”. Nouns can be either single or with dependent words - Asya met Olya (which one?) after the exam, in chalk, but pleased with the grade. (“in chalk” is an inconsistent definition expressed by a noun in the prepositional case).
A verb in an indefinite form that answers the question “what?”, “what to do?”, “what to do?”. There was one great joy in Natasha’s life (what?) - giving birth to a child.
Comparative degree of adjective with dependent words. From afar, we noticed a friend in a dress (what?), brighter than she usually wears.

Each separate definition, examples confirm this, may differ in its structure.

Definition structure

According to their structure, definitions can consist of:

from a single word, for example, delighted grandfather;
adjective or participle with dependent words - grandfather, delighted with the news;
from several separate definitions - a grandfather, delighted with the news he told.

The isolation of definitions depends on which defined word they refer to and where exactly they are located. Most often they are distinguished by intonation and commas, less often by dashes (for example, the greatest success (which one?) is to hit the jackpot in the lottery).

Separating the participle

The most popular isolated definition, examples of which are most common, is a single participle (participial phrase). With this type of definition, commas are placed if it comes after the word that defines.

The girl (what?), frightened, silently walked forward. In this example, the participle defines the state of the object and comes after it, so it is separated on both sides by commas.
The painting (which one?), painted in Italy, became his favorite creation. Here, the participle with a dependent word highlights the object and stands after the word being defined, therefore it is also separated by commas.

If the participle or participial phrase comes before the word being defined, then punctuation marks are not placed:

The frightened girl silently walked forward.
The painting, painted in Italy, became his favorite creation.

You should know about the formation of participles in order to use such a separate definition. Examples, suffixes in the formation of participles:

when creating a real participle in the present. tense from the verb of the 1st conjugation, the suffix is written – ush – yusch (thinks – thinking, write – writers);
when created in the present day. tense of the active participle 2 sp., use –ash-yasch (smoke – smoking, sting – stinging);
in the past tense, active participles are formed using the suffix -вш (wrote - wrote, spoke - spoke);
Passive participles are created with the addition of the suffixes -nn-enn in the past tense (invented - invented, offended - offended) and -em, -om-im and -t in the present (led - led, loved - loved).

In addition to the participle, the adjective is just as common.

Isolation of an adjective

Single or dependent adjectives are distinguished in the same way as participles. If a separate definition (examples and rules are similar to a participle) appears after the word being defined, then a comma is placed, but if before, then not.

The morning, gray and foggy, was not conducive to a walk. (The gray and foggy morning was not conducive to a walk).

An angry mother can remain silent for several hours. (An angry mother can remain silent for several hours).

Isolation with a defined personal pronoun

When a participle or adjective refers to a pronoun, they are separated by a comma, regardless of where they are located:

Frustrated, she went into the yard.
They, tired, went straight to bed.
He, red with embarrassment, kissed her hand.

When a defined word is separated by other words, the isolated definition (examples from fiction demonstrate this) is also separated by commas. For example, “Suddenly the whole steppe shook and, engulfed in a dazzling blue light, expanded (M. Gorky).

Other definitions

A separate definition (examples, rules below) can convey meaning by relationship or profession, then they are also separated by commas. For example:

The professor, a handsome young man, looked at his new applicants.

Mom, in her usual robe and apron, has not changed at all this year.

In such constructions, isolated definitions carry additional messages about the object.

The rules seem complicated at first glance, but if you understand their logic and practice, the material will be well absorbed.

To help schoolchildren: isolated definitions

Segregation: a general concept

In Russian, a sentence consists of main and secondary members. The subject and predicate are the basis of any statement, however, without circumstances, additions and definitions, it does not so widely reveal the idea that the author wants to convey. To make the sentence more voluminous and fully convey the meaning, it combines the grammatical basis and secondary members of the sentence, which have the ability to be isolated. What does it mean? Isolation is the separation of minor members from the context by meaning and intonation, in which words acquire syntactic independence. This article will look at separate definitions.

Definition

So, first you need to remember what a simple definition is, and then start studying the separate ones. So, definitions are the secondary members of a sentence that answer the questions “Which?” and “Whose?” They indicate a sign of the subject being discussed in the statement, are distinguished by punctuation marks and depend on the grammatical basis. But isolated definitions acquire a certain syntactic independence. In writing they are distinguished by commas, and in oral speech - by intonation. Such definitions, as well as simple ones, are of two types: consistent and inconsistent. Each type has its own characteristics of isolation.

Agreed Definitions

An isolated agreed definition, just like a simple one, always depends on the noun, which is the defining word for it. Such definitions are formed by adjectives and participles. They can be single or have dependent words and stand in a sentence immediately after the noun or be separated from it by other members of the sentence. As a rule, such definitions have a semi-predicative meaning; it is especially clearly visible in the case when the sentence construction contains adverbial words that are distributive for this definition. Single definitions are also distinguished if they appear after a noun or pronoun and clearly indicate their characteristics. For example: the child, embarrassed, stood near his mother; pale, tired, he lay down on the bed. Definitions expressed by short passive participles and short adjectives are necessarily excluded. For example: then the beast appeared, shaggy and tall; our world is burning, spiritual and transparent, and it will become truly good.

Inconsistent definitions

Like simple inconsistent definitions, conditional in a sentence, they are expressed by nouns in indirect case forms. In a statement, they are almost always an additional message and are meaningfully associated with personal pronouns and proper names. The definition in this case is always isolated if it has a semi-predicative meaning and is temporary. This condition is mandatory, because proper names are sufficiently specific and do not require constant features, and the pronoun is not lexically combined with features. For example: Seryozhka, with a worn spoon in his hands, took his place by the fire; Today he, in a new jacket, looked especially good. In the case of a common noun, a characterizing meaning is required to isolate the definition. For example: In the middle of the village stood an old abandoned house with a massive tall chimney on the roof.

Which definitions are not excluded?

In some cases, even in the presence of relevant factors, the definitions are not isolated:

In the case when definitions are used together with words that do not have an inferior lexical meaning (Father looked angry and menacing.) In this example there is a defining word “appearance”, but the definition is not isolated.
Common definitions cannot be isolated when connected with the two main members of a sentence. (After mowing, the hay lay folded in bins.)
If the definition is expressed in a complex comparative form or has a superlative adjective. (More popular songs appeared.)
If the so-called attributive phrase stands after an indefinite, attributive, demonstrative or possessive pronoun and forms a single whole with it.
If the adjective comes after a negative pronoun, such as no one, no one, no one. (No one admitted to the exams was able to answer the additional question.)

Punctuation marks

When writing sentences with separate definitions, they should be separated by commas in the following cases:

If the isolated definitions are a participle or an adjective and come after the qualifying word. (The perfume given to her (which one?) had a divine aroma, reminiscent of spring freshness.) This sentence has two definitions, expressed by participial phrases. For the first turn, the defining word is perfume, and for the second, aroma.
If two or more definitions are used after a defining word, they are separated. (And this sun, kind, gentle, was shining right through my window.) This rule also applies in cases of using inconsistent definitions. (Father, wearing a hat and a black coat, walked quietly along the park alley.)
If in a sentence the definition indicates an additional circumstance (concessive, conditional or causal). (Tired by the hot day (reason), she fell on the bed exhausted.)
If in a statement the definition depends on the personal pronoun. (Dreaming of a vacation at sea, he continued to work.)
A separate definition is always separated by commas if it is separated from the defining word by other members of the sentence or stands in front of it. (And in the sky, accustomed to the rain, a raven circled senselessly.)

How to find isolated definitions in a sentence

In order to find a sentence with a separate definition, you should pay attention to punctuation marks. Then highlight the grammatical basis. By asking questions from the subject and predicate, establish connections between words and find definitions in the sentence. If these minor members are separated by commas, then this is the desired construction of the statement. Quite often, isolated definitions are expressed by participial phrases, which, as a rule, come after the defining word. Also, such definitions can be expressed by adjectives and participles with dependent words and single ones. Quite often there are isolated homogeneous definitions in a sentence. It is not difficult to identify them; in a sentence they are expressed by homogeneous participles and adjectives.

Exercises for consolidation

To better understand the topic, you need to consolidate the acquired knowledge in practice. To do this, you should complete exercises in which you need to find sentences with separate definitions, place punctuation marks in them and explain each comma. You can also take dictation and write down sentences. By performing this exercise, you will develop the ability to identify isolated definitions by ear and write them down correctly. The ability to place commas correctly will come in handy both during your studies and during entrance exams to a higher educational institution.

Participial phrase: example, definition, rules

Participial phrase: definition

I finally read a book that had been collecting dust on the shelf for a long time.

The participial phrase “long gathering dust on a shelf” plays the role of a separate definition (answers the question: which one?).

The puppy, scared of us, ran away.

The participle is the main component of the participial phrase

thinking(which?) - denotes the one who thinks;
having turned th (which?) - denotes the one who transformed;
built(which one?) - means what was built.

There are still debates about the participle as an independent part of speech. Some linguists define it as a special form of the verb.

What else does the participial phrase contain?

In addition to the participle, the participle phrase includes:

1. Dependent words. They are asked a direct question from the participle. For example:

Table covered with a tablecloth.

2. The word being defined is the one to which the participial phrase refers. Example:

Child running around the apartment.

Isolation rule

The flower growing in the vacant lot was very beautiful.

Here the defined word is “flower”, the participial phrase is “growing in a vacant lot.” A separate definition is placed after the word being defined and, accordingly, is separated by commas.

Let's look at another example: The flower growing in the vacant lot was very beautiful.

In this case, the position of the participial phrase has changed: the word being defined comes after the separate definition, so commas are not needed.

However, there are cases in which commas are necessary:

When the word-personal pronoun is defined, the participial phrase is always isolated. Example: Anticipating trouble, I tossed and turned in bed for a long time. The participial phrase “anticipating trouble” refers to the personal pronoun “I”, therefore it is separated by commas, regardless of position. Let's compare: I, sensing trouble, tossed and turned in bed for a long time.
The additional meaning of a circumstance that has a participial turn. For example: Blinded by the glare of the sea, we did not dare to enter the water for a long time.. Here the participial phrase “blinded by the glare of the sea” has the additional meaning of reason: from the predicate you can ask an additional question: why didn’t you decide for a long time? Because they were blinded by the glare of the sea.
Other members of the sentence separate the word being defined and the participial phrase. Example: Showing the first rays, the month appears in the sky. Here the participial phrase is “showing the first rays”, and the defined word is “month”. Between them there are also the predicate “appears” and the adverbial preposition “in the sky.” In this case, it is necessary to separate the participial phrase with commas.

When commas are not needed

A sun-soaked world surrounded us.

With this position of the participial phrase, commas are not needed.

There are two more cases when it is not necessary to highlight the participial phrase. Examples:

1. If it refers not only to the subject, but also to the predicate:

We ran to the tent soaking wet.

In this case, it is possible to ask a question about the participial phrase “wet through” both from the subject pronoun “we” (which?), but also from the predicate “ran” (in what way?).

2. The accusative case of the personal pronoun acting as the word being defined. For example:

We found him lying on the battlefield.

The word being defined is the personal pronoun “him”, standing in the accusative case (whom?).

What conclusion can be drawn from all of the above? If you don’t know whether to isolate the participial phrase or not, pay attention to the following points:

The location of the phrase relative to the word being defined.
How is the word being defined expressed and in what form does it appear.

What is a standalone definition?

Sasha Gagiev

And the Cossacks, both on foot and on horseback, marched along three roads to three gates;
Under this thick gray overcoat beat a passionate and noble heart.

Lyubov Isaeva

Isolation is the semantic and intonation separation of minor members in order to give them a certain syntactic independence in a sentence.

Separate members:

– clarify the expressed thought;
– specify the description of the action;
– give a more in-depth description of a person or object;
– add expressive coloring to the sentence.

General conditions for isolating definitions:

1) stand after the word being defined;
2) refer to a personal pronoun;
3) have additional circumstantial meaning.
4) the distance of the definition from the word being defined

Romella Huseynova

As a rule, common definitions expressed by a participle or an adjective with dependent words and standing after the defined noun or substantivized word are isolated (separated by a comma, and in the middle of the sentence they are highlighted on both sides by commas): Poplars, covered with dew, filled the air with a delicate aroma. Common definitions are not distinguished:
standing before the noun being defined (if they do not have additional adverbial shades of meaning: The detachment that left early in the morning had already covered four miles;
standing after the noun being defined, if the latter in itself in a given sentence does not express the desired meaning and needs to be defined: Chernyshevsky created a work of the highest degree original and extremely remarkable; If he had written about all this, the book would have been fascinating and unlike anything in literature;
connected in meaning not only with the subject, but also with the predicate, of which they are included: The moon rose very purple and gloomy, as if sick; The sea at his feet lay silent and silent from the cloudy sky. Typically, such constructions are formed with verbs of motion and state, acting as a significant connective; if a verb of this type itself serves as a predicate, then the definition is isolated: Trifon Ivanovich won two rubles from me and left, very pleased with his victory;
expressed by a complex form of the comparative or superlative degree of the adjective, since such forms do not form a revolution and act as an indivisible member of the sentence: The guest watched with wariness much more convincing than the cordiality shown by the host. However, if there is a turnover: In the circle closest to the bride were her two sisters.
Participles and adjectives with dependent words, standing after an indefinite pronoun, are usually not isolated, since they form one whole with the preceding pronoun: Her large eyes, filled with inexplicable sadness, seemed to be looking for something similar to hope in mine. But if the semantic connection between the pronoun and the definition that follows it is less close and when reading there is a pause after the pronoun, then isolation is possible: And someone, sweating and out of breath, runs from store to store.
Determinative, demonstrative and possessive pronouns are not separated by a comma from the participial phrase that follows them, but are closely adjacent to it: All factual data published in the book were verified by the author. However, compare: Everything that laughs, is cheerful, marked with the stamp of humor, was little accessible to him. But if the attributive pronoun is substantivized or if the participial phrase has the character of clarification or explanation, then the definition is isolated: Everything connected with the railway is still covered in the poetry of travel for me. The turnover taken together in different forms is always isolated: All this taken together convinces of the correctness of the decision made. Often, sentences with agreed definitions allow for punctuation options: That middle one plays better than others (that one is the definition of the substantivized word average) - That one, the middle one, plays better than the others (the substantivized word that is the subject, with a separate definition of average).
The common definition is not separated by a comma from the preceding negative pronoun: No one admitted to the Olympiad solved the last problem.
Two or more single definitions appearing after the noun being defined are distinguished if the latter is preceded by another definition: Favorite faces, dead and alive, come to mind.
In the absence of a previous definition, two subsequent single definitions are isolated or not isolated depending on the degree of their intonation-semantic connection with the defined noun:
A

Goncharenko Marina

Separate definitions are:
Interpretation
Separate definitions
1. As a rule, common definitions expressed by a participle or an adjective with words dependent on them and standing after the defined noun or substantivized word are isolated (separated by a comma, and in the middle of the sentence they are highlighted on both sides by commas), for example: Poplars, covered with dew, filled the air with a delicate aroma (Chekhov); A pale light, similar to water slightly diluted with blue, flooded the eastern part of the horizon (Paustovsky); Those three are also standing, all gloomy (Gorky).
Note. Common definitions are not distinguished:
a) standing before the defined noun (if they do not have additional adverbial shades of meaning, see below, paragraph 6), for example: The detachment that left early in the morning has already covered four miles (L. Tolstoy); I came two weeks later and was received by some girl with her eyes slanted towards her nose from constant lies (Bulgakov);
b) standing after the defined noun, if the latter in itself in a given sentence does not express the desired meaning and needs definition, for example: He could have heard things that were quite unpleasant for himself if Grushnitsky had unequally guessed the truth (Lermontov) (the combination could have heard things not expresses the desired concept); Chernyshevsky created a highly original and extremely remarkable work (Pisarev); It was an unusually kind smile, wide and soft, like that of an awakened child (Chekhov); If he had written about all this, the book would have been fascinating and unlike anything in literature (Paustovsky);
c) connected in meaning not only with the subject, but also with the predicate, of which they are included, for example: The moon rose crimson and gloomy, as if sick (Chekhov); Even the birches and rowan trees stood sleepy in the sultry languor that surrounded them (Mamin-Sibiryak); The foliage emerges from under the feet, densely packed and gray (Prishvin); The sea at his feet lay silent and white from the cloudy sky (Paustovsky). Typically, such constructions are formed with the verbs of movement and state, acting as a significant connective; if a verb of this type itself serves as a predicate, then the definition is isolated, for example: Trifon Ivanovich won two rubles from me and left, very pleased with his victory (Turgenev);
d) expressed in a complex form of the comparative or superlative degree of the adjective, since such forms do not form a revolution and act as an indivisible member of the sentence, for example: The guest watched with wariness much more convincing than the cordiality shown by the host; The author suggested a shorter option; The most urgent messages are published. Wed. (if there is a turnover): In the circle closest to the bride were her two sisters (L. Tolstoy).
2. Participles and adjectives with dependent words, standing after an indefinite pronoun, are usually not isolated, since they form one whole with the preceding pronoun, for example: Her big eyes, filled with inexplicable sadness seemed to be looking for something resembling hope in mine (Lermontov). But if the semantic connection between the pronoun and the definition that follows it is less close and when reading there is a pause after the pronoun, then isolation is possible, for example: And someone, sweating and out of breath, runs from store to store... (V. Panova) (two are isolated single definitions, see below, paragraph 4).
3. Determinative, demonstrative and possessive pronouns are not separated by a comma from the participle phrase following them, closely adjacent to it, for example: All factual data published in the book were verified by the author; The song sounds inviting for all those tortured by captivity; In this forgotten

A separate definition expressed by a participial phrase?

In which sentence can the subordinate part of a complex sentence not be replaced by a separate definition expressed by a participial phrase?
1) And then the luck that he had dreamed of for so long smiled upon him.
2) We found a mushroom that amazed us with its unusually bright color.
3) The candle, which had just gone out, began to smoke.
4) The swift, who was sitting in a cage, cheerfully clicked its beak.

Vlasov Mikhail

Exactly 1! maybe in the rest you can replace it with a phrase, without distorting the meaning:
2) We found a mushroom that amazed us with its unusually bright color.
3) The candle, which had just been extinguished, began to smoke.
4) The swift, sitting in a cage, cheerfully clicked its beak.