It is known that the sign that performs the function of a comma was invented in the third century BC by the philosopher of Ancient Greece Aristophanes of Byzantium. Already in those distant times, humanity felt the need to clarify written language. Aristophanes of Byzantium invented a system of signs that was not very similar to current punctuation marks. The system had special points that were placed, depending on the pronunciation of the phrase when reading, at the top, middle or bottom of the line. The dot in the middle of the line served as a comma and was called “comma”.
The sign we now use to denote a comma comes from the fraction sign; it is also called the “straight slash”. This sign was used from the 13th to 17th centuries AD to indicate a pause. But the modern comma is a mini-copy of the forward slash.
How can you tell if a comma is used in a given sentence? In Russian, as in many other languages, a comma is a punctuation mark. In writing it is used for highlighting and isolation:
- circumstances;
- participial and participial phrases;
- definitions;
- appeals;
- interjections;
- clarifications, introductory words.
In addition, commas are also used for separation:
- between direct and indirect speech;
- between parts of a complex, complex and compound sentence;
- homogeneous members of the sentence.
The comma is a very interesting punctuation mark. This is proven by numerous funny and not so funny situations that actually happened. To prevent such situations from happening to you, take the trouble to learn some rules for placing commas in sentences.
Commas are placed either in pairs or alone. Single commas divide a whole sentence into parts, separating these parts by marking their boundaries. For example, in a complex sentence you need to separate two simple parts, or in a simple sentence - homogeneous members of the sentence used in listing. Paired or double commas highlight an independent part of it, marking boundaries on both sides. Usually, introductory words, adverbial and participial phrases, and appeals are highlighted on both sides if they are in the middle of the sentence and if all the necessary conditions for this are met. Understanding where commas are placed is quite difficult. But you can simplify this by remembering a few simple rules.
First rule
The main thing is to understand the meaning of the sentence. After all, punctuation marks are placed in sentences precisely to convey the correct meaning. When a comma is placed in the wrong place in a sentence, the meaning is distorted. For example: “In the evening I entertained my brother, who was sick, by reading aloud”; “Masha, with whom I quarreled yesterday, ran towards me with a cheerful face.”
Second rule
It is important to remember which conjunctions are preceded by a comma. Such conjunctions include: since, because, where, what, when, which and many others. For example: “I’ll stop by when I’m free”; "He said he'd be late."
Third rule
To highlight an independent part of a sentence, you need to read the sentence without this part. If the meaning of the sentence is clear, then the removed part is independent. Participial phrases, introductory sentences and words must be highlighted with commas. For example: “I recently learned that my neighbor, returning from London, fell ill.” Remove the adverbial phrase “returning from London” from the sentence; its meaning will remain virtually unchanged. That is, the meaning of the sentence is preserved - “I recently found out that my neighbor got sick.”
But this does not always happen with participle phrases; there are sentences in which the participle adjoins the predicate, and in meaning it becomes very similar to an adverb. In such cases, single gerunds are separated by commas. For example, Griboyedov’s phrase: “Why, sir, are you crying? Live your life laughing." If you remove a gerund from a sentence, it will become incomprehensible, so there is no need to put a comma.
Regarding introductory words, they are always separated by commas on both sides. There are a lot of them: of course, fortunately, firstly, by the way, imagine, by the way, etc. It’s not difficult to find them in a sentence, you just have to try to remove them from the sentence.
Fourth rule
Addresses are always separated by commas in sentences. When it is in the middle or at the end of a sentence, it is not very easy to identify. For example: “Alas, Margarita, but you are wrong. Because I was there too. And I saw everything. And you, Lida, I saw among those people who sang in the choir.”
Fifth rule
In what cases is a comma used in comparative phrases? Almost all of them! It is very easy to find a comparative phrase in a sentence using conjunctions: exactly, as, as if, that, as, rather than, than, and so on. But there are exceptions. Comparative phrases are not highlighted if they are stable figures of speech or phraseological units. For example: it pours like a bucket, it cuts like clockwork.
Sixth rule
A comma is placed between homogeneous members, but not always. A comma is necessary for the conjunctions a, yes, but, but, however.
Also, a comma is needed between homogeneous members that are connected by repeating conjunctions (and ... and, or ... or, not that ... not that, either ... or).
There is no need to place a comma between homogeneous terms that are connected by single conjunctions yes, and, either, or.
Also, repeating conjunctions before homogeneous members of a sentence will help determine where commas are placed. Complexity is created only by homogeneous and heterogeneous definitions. A comma must be placed between homogeneous definitions. For example: “an interesting, exciting film.” For heterogeneous definitions, a comma is not needed. For example: "exciting Hollywood action movie." The word "exciting" is an expression of impression, and "Hollywood" in turn means the film belongs to the place where it was made.
Seventh rule
Coordinating conjunctions in complex sentences must be preceded by a comma. These are such conjunctions: and, yes, or, either, yes and. The main thing is to correctly determine where one sentence ends and another begins. To do this, you need to find the subjects and predicate in each sentence or divide a complex sentence according to its meaning.
Eighth rule
A comma is always placed before contrastive conjunctions: but, yes, and.
Ninth Rule
When is a comma used in sentences with a participial phrase? Understanding this rule is somewhat more difficult than with the adverbial phrase. It is important to remember that participles are separated by commas only when they come after the word they define. The rule being defined is the word from which the question is asked to the participial phrase. For example: “a friend (what?) who was delighted at my arrival.” It is worth understanding the difference: “a pear grown in the garden” – “a pear grown in the garden.”
Tenth Rule
Affirmative, interrogative, negative words and interjections are separated by commas. An interjection is always followed by a comma. For example: “Life, alas, is not an eternal gift.” But we should distinguish the interjection from the particles oh, ah, well, which are used to enhance the shade, and the particle o, which is used when addressing. For example: “Oh, what are you!”; "Oh field, field!"
Commas must be treated very carefully, because a misspelled word can be mistaken for a typo, and missing a comma, as linguists say, can greatly distort the meaning of the written text.
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 mark for the end of a sentence or even an entire paragraph.
Punctuation marks
Knowing what punctuation studies, it is 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 coloring 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 characters 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 intonation highlighting of words or phrases within a sentence.
Any modern written text will be incorrect if it lacks graphic elements, which are commonly called punctuation marks. Without them, it is impossible to understand the boundaries of sentences and it is difficult to perceive the text itself, its topic and problem.
Punctuation marks, separates, and separates different parts of sentences. Each of the punctuation marks is necessary for the Russian language, otherwise there will be confusion in it, and people simply will not be able to understand the simplest things. As a result, complex and contradictory situations may arise.
In modern texts of a literary, scientific, business and journalistic nature, punctuation marks are certainly needed, among which are periods, commas, question and exclamation marks, colons, dashes, semicolons, ellipses, quotation marks, and parentheses. Moreover, each of these signs performs its own individual function.
The most commonly used characters in sentences are periods and commas. This is not difficult to prove, since without a period at the end of the sentence, it will be considered unfinished, and commas serve to separate and highlight parts of the sentence and its members.
Punctuation marks in sentences play the same role as in the text: without them, they can lose meaning or be distorted in the exact opposite direction. Therefore, when writing any texts, you need to arrange them very carefully, while being guided by the rules.
Placing a comma in a simple sentence is justified if it contains homogeneous members of the sentence - both main (subject and predicate) and secondary ones, and they should not be connected by conjunctions, that is, when there is a non-union connection or there are conjunctions, but they are repeated.
A simple sentence complicated by homogeneous members is characterized by the presence of a colon, if there is a generalizing word, and it is located before them. If it comes after, then you need to put a dash.
With the help of commas in a simple sentence, representing a participial phrase and circumstances, representing an adverbial phrase.
A simple sentence is also characterized by the use of a punctuation mark such as a dash. It usually separates one main member from another (subject from predicate), if they are a noun in the nominative case, verbs in the indefinite form, numerals.
the same as in simple. Most often, in complex sentences, both compound and complex, a comma is placed between simple ones.
A compound sentence consists of simple sentences connected by intonation and separated by commas. In sentences of this kind, in cases of rapid change of events, it is necessary to put a dash. In a complex sentence, the parts of which are very common, use a semicolon.
A complex sentence contains punctuation marks such as commas, with the help of which subordinate clauses are attached to the main part, and the connection is ensured by adding a subordinating conjunction or a conjunctive word.
A non-union complex sentence is characterized by an intonation connection, with its parts separated from each other by a comma or semicolon. But such a sentence may contain punctuation marks such as colons and dashes.
In a complex sentence with a non-union connection, the second part of which contains the reason, explanation and addition of what is written in the first, these parts are separated by a colon. Setting a dash is advisable if the second part shows a rapid change of events, the result is in contrast to what was discussed in the first part.
Punctuation marks divide our written speech and help us understand thoughts correctly.
Punctuation(from lat. punctum - point) is a section of the Russian language that studies punctuation, as well as the punctuation system itself. Punctuation in Russian serves in order to convey as accurately as possible in writing what the author wanted to express. Punctuation rules created in order to regulate the intonation structure of speech, as well as syntactic and semantic relationships in the language.
We all remember the greatness and power of our language. This means not only its lexical richness, but also its flexibility. This also applies to punctuation - there are both strict rules and guidelines that depend on the situation, stylistic features and meaning of the text.
Punctuation in Russian speech achieved through punctuation. Punctuation marks- these are graphic symbols necessary to convey the intonation and meaning of a sentence, as well as to place certain accents in speech.
In Russian there are the following punctuation marks:
1) End of sentence marks: period, question mark and exclamation mark;
2) Sentence separation marks: comma, dash, colon and semicolon;
3) Signs highlighting individual parts of a sentence: quotes and parentheses.
I came home late. Why is the bedroom light still on? That's right, she was waiting for me! “Back at work again?” - she asked tiredly. The apartment smelled of medicine (she probably drank valerian tincture so as not to worry), so I tried to calm her down and go to bed as soon as possible. All the events of that day flashed before my eyes: a scandal at work; a reprimand from the boss who unfairly blamed me for what happened; walking through the city at night in thought.
Punctuation marks can be repeated and combined. For example, the use of a question mark and an exclamation mark at the same time indicates that we have a rhetorical question(a question that does not require an answer or the answer to which everyone already knows):
Who knew that everything would happen exactly like this?!
How long?!
Can also be combined comma and dash. This combination allows you to connect different values:
A cool wind blew, it became dark in the forest, and a summer village evening was approaching.
This combination of punctuation marks can also be explained by the use of different constructions, for example, referring to a sentence with a dash between the subject and the predicate:
You, brother, are the dearest person left on earth.
Despite the fact that in the Russian language there are cases when there are no strict rules for the use of certain punctuation marks, even in such cases there are certain recommendations. For example, are there such cases basic punctuation, that is, one that is given preference. For example, the main punctuation mark when using inserted structures is parentheses:
After yesterday's downpour, all of us (except Anna, who happened to have a raincoat) fell ill with a cold.
In this case, it is possible to highlight the inserted structure using a dash (a minor punctuation mark in this case):
He sat down thoughtfully on the bench - it was wet after the rain - and thought about what happened today.
All punctuation rules and punctuation rules we will look in more detail in subsequent articles.
Another paired sign that came into the language... from musical notation, and received its Russian name, in all likelihood, from the Little Russian verb “to waddle” (“to waddle like a duck”, “to limp”). And indeed, if the quotation marks are as usual by hand (““), they are very similar to paws. By the way, a pair of quotation marks “” are called “paws”, and ordinary typographical quotation marks “” are called “Christmas trees”.Signs... but not signs
The hyphen, which, by analogy with the dash, many take for a punctuation mark, is not such. Together with the accent mark, it refers to non-literal spelling characters. And the frequently encountered ampersand (&), although similar to a punctuation mark, is in fact a ligature of the Latin conjunction et.The controversial point is the gap. Due to its task of separating words, it can be classified as punctuation marks, but can emptiness be called a sign? Except technically.
Sources:
- Russian punctuation
- Basics of Russian punctuation
Today it is difficult to imagine that books were once printed without punctuation marks. They have become so familiar that they are simply not noticed. But punctuation marks live their own lives and have an interesting history of appearance. A person seeking to master competent written speech must use punctuation marks correctly.
History of the origin of quotation marks
The word quotation marks in the meaning of a note sign is found in the 16th century, but in the meaning of a punctuation mark it was used only from the end of the 18th century. It is assumed that the initiator of the introduction of quotation marks into written speech is N.M. Karamzin. The origin of this word is not clear. In Russian dialects, kavysh means “duckling”, kavka means “”. Thus, it is assumed that the quotation marks are “traces of duck or frog legs”, “squiggle”, “”.
Types of quotation marks
There are several types of quotation marks. There are two types of quotation marks used in Russian:
- French “Christmas trees”;
- German „“.
are used as regular quotation marks, and paws are used as “quotations “within” quotation marks.”
Rules for using quotation marks in text
Marking direct speech and quotations with quotation marks
The speech of another person, i.e. direct speech included in the text is formatted in two ways:
- if direct speech is written in a line, then it is enclosed in quotation marks: “It’s a pity that I didn’t know you before,” he said;
- if direct speech begins with a paragraph, then a dash is placed in front of it (then quotation marks are not placed): Senya and Pavel went out onto the balcony.
- This is what I came for: Has Gleb arrived from a business trip?
- Had arrived.
Direct speech is not highlighted in quotation marks unless it is indicated to whom it belongs: It is not for nothing that they say: as you sow, so does.
Quotes are enclosed in quotation marks in the same way as direct speech: “Life is an unpredictable thing,” said A.P. Chekhov.
Putting quotation marks around words that are unusually used in speech
Quotes are used to highlight words that are unfamiliar to the author’s vocabulary, words that belong to a narrow circle of friends: I poked with a stick, the track “gave a blast.”
The names of metro stations in texts are enclosed in quotation marks (but not in maps!).
Titles of literary works, documents, works of art, magazines and newspapers, etc. put in quotation marks: “Queen of Spades.”
The names of orders, awards, medals that are syntactically incompatible with the generic name are enclosed in quotation marks: Order “Mother - Heroine” (but: Order of the Patriotic War).
Names of varieties of flowers, vegetables, etc. highlighted in quotation marks: “black prince.”
Trade names of household appliances, food products, and wines are enclosed in quotation marks: “Biryusa” refrigerator.
Quotation marks emphasize the ironic. If the word "smart" is in quotation marks, it means a stupid person.
The placement of appropriate punctuation marks in sentences plays an important role. Writer K.G. Paustovsky compared them to musical notes that “prevent the text from falling apart.” Now it is even difficult for us to imagine that for a long time the usual small symbols were not used when printing books.
Instructions
Punctuation marks appeared in Europe with the spread of printing. The sign system was not invented by Europeans, but was borrowed from the ancient Greeks in the 15th century. Before their appearance, texts were difficult to read: there were no spaces between words or the recording was undivided segments. In our country, the rules for placing punctuation marks began to operate only in the 18th century, representing a branch of the science of language called “punctuation”. The founder of this innovation was M.V. Lomonosov.
The dot is considered the most ancient sign, the ancestor of punctuation (the names of some others are associated precisely with it). Found in ancient Russian monuments, the dot had a different use from today. It could once have been placed without observing a certain order and not at the bottom, as now, but in the middle of the line.
The comma is a very common punctuation mark. The name can be found already in the 15th century. According to V.I. Dahl, the lexical is related to the verbs “wrist”, “stammer”, which should now be understood in the meaning of “stop” or “delay”.
Most other punctuation marks appeared throughout the 16th–18th centuries. Parentheses and colons began to be used in the 16th century, as evidenced by written monuments. 17-18 centuries – the time when Russian Dolomonosov grammarians mention the exclamation mark. At the end of sentences with strong feelings expressed, they began to draw a vertical straight line above the period. M.V. Lomonosov defined the exclamation mark. In printed books of the 16th century. You can see a question mark, but only two centuries later it began to be used to express a question. The semicolon was first used as an intermediate sign between the colon and comma, and also replaced the question mark.
Much later came the ellipses and dashes. The historian and writer N. Karamzin made them popular and consolidated their use in writing. In Grammar A.H. Vostokov (1831) there is an ellipsis, but it was found in written sources earlier.
The word “quotation marks” was in use already in the 16th century, but it meant a musical note (hook) sign. According to assumptions, it was Karamzin who suggested introducing quotation marks into written speech. The naming “quotes” can be compared with the word “paws”.
There are ten punctuation marks in modern Russian. Most of their names are of original Russian origin; the word “dash” is borrowed from the French language. The old names are interesting. A “containing” sign was a parenthesis (it contained some information inside). The speech was interrupted by a “silence” - a dash, a semicolon was called a “half dot”. Since the exclamation mark was originally necessary to express surprise, it was called “amazing.”
The red line serves as a punctuation mark in its own way and has an interesting history. Not very long ago, text was typed without indentation. Having typed the text in full, icons were added using paint of a different color to indicate the structural parts. Free space was specially left for such signs. Having once forgotten to place them in an empty space, we came to the conclusion that the indented text is read very well. This is how paragraphs and a red line appeared.
Video on the topic
note
The study of the rules for setting punctuation marks was started by the outstanding scientist M.V. Lomonosov. Adopted in the mid-twentieth century, the “Rules of Spelling and Punctuation” are the basis of modern literate writing.
Sources:
- From the history of Russian punctuation. The role of punctuation marks.
Competent writing of sentences is one of the signs of education and culture, therefore every person should strive for the best mastery of Russian speech. Isolating the conjunction “how” is a problem for many, and therefore studying a number of rules will help you learn the correct placement of punctuation marks.
Instructions
All introductory words and constructions are highlighted on both sides. This also applies to phrases, part of which is “as”: “as a rule”, “as a consequence”. For example: “He was late, as always”; “The woman, as if on purpose, forgot hers at home.” Before “how” also, if it separates two parts of a complex sentence: “Mom will never know how her son skipped school”; “The hunter stood for a long time and watched the elk leave unharmed.”
The comparative phrase is a circumstance from both sides: “The dove walked in circles for a long time and looked after the turtledove, like a real gentleman”; “She jumped high like a mountain doe and literally flew over the bar.” This construction begins with a sign and ends with it even when the main sentence comes after it: “A falcon swooped down from above, like an inexorable natural element.”
The phrase with “how” can also act as a circumstance of the manner of action, and in this case it is not used: “The horse flew like an arrow and at the finish line overtook the favorite by half a head.” Despite the difficulty of distinguishing between these two categories, the circumstance of the manner of action can be recognized if you mentally replace the word form from “how” with a similar one: “The horse flew like an arrow and at the finish line overtook the favorite by half a head.” “Like an arrow” is an integral part of the predicate and when parsing a sentence together with a double line.
Phraseologisms have turned into indivisible phrases and become one part of speech, so they are not separated by a comma: “The children are growing by leaps and bounds,” “He drank the linden infusion, and his cold went away.” In addition to them, complex predicates have become inseparable, which can include not only circumstances of the manner of action, but also comparisons: “She came like