Without definitions explaining the property and quality of an object, human speech would be "dry" and uninteresting. Everything that has a sign is conveyed in sentences with the help of definitions. It is the description of objects that creates our knowledge about it and our attitude towards it: a delicious fruit, a bitter experience, a beautiful person, a white and fluffy rabbit, etc. Such explanations characterizing objects help to understand them better.
The concept of homogeneous members
For greater disclosure of the content of a sentence or to strengthen any part of it, homogeneous members of sentences are often used. They answer the same question and explain or refer to the same member of the sentence. Homogeneous members are absolutely independent and are connected in a sentence either by enumerative intonation or by coordinating conjunctions. Rarely, subordinating conjunctions can connect them, conveying the meaning of a concession or the reasons for what is happening.
For example:
- The film waslong (concession) though interesting.
- The first yellow leaf fell and gently lay on the grass (leaf "what did you do?" - fell and lay down - homogeneous predicates that determine the subject).
- There were red, blue, black and green pens in the pencil case (homogeneous definitions characterize the subject).
- The meeting was sluggish and uninteresting (homogeneous circumstances characterize the quality of the subject).
All members of the sentence, both secondary and main, can be homogeneous equally. Difficulties in punctuation often raise doubts about their uniformity. To know when commas are needed and when not, you need to understand what distinguishes between homogeneous and non-homogeneous definitions.
Definitions are heterogeneous and homogeneous
Homogeneous are definitions that refer to one member of the sentence or that characterize it, and answer one question. Commas are placed between homogeneous definitions, as they describe an object from any side or list its varieties, for example:
- The first tulips bloomed in the flowerbed - red, yellow, pink and variegated (uniform definitions characterize the subject only from one side - by color).
- The bench was under a tall, thick oak and was conducive to rest in its shade (homogeneous definitions list the qualities of the addition).
- Houses, tall, brick were the hallmark of the area(definitions after the word being defined are usually homogeneous).
Heterogeneous definitions give a description of an object from different angles, characterizing it by its various qualities.
This is the difference between homogeneous and heterogeneous definitions. Examples have shown that homogeneous are divided according to the characteristics and conditions that they characterize. They also have an enumerative intonation.
Heterogeneous definitions
According to the way of expressing features and the place in the sentence, homogeneous and heterogeneous definitions can be divided.
Heterogeneous include:
- Definitions that characterize or reveal the properties of an object from different angles. At the same time, its various qualities can be listed - shape, color, width, height, material, etc. For example: a long black scarf was wrapped several times around the neck (definitions indicate the length and color of the object).
- Definitions consisting of a combination of qualitative and relative adjectives. For example: a girl took off a red woolen mitten from her hand and stroked a kitten (“red” is a qualitative adjective characterizing the color, “woolen” is a relative, indicating the material).
- Definitions represented by qualitative adjectives belonging to different semantic groups. For example: his cheerful green eyes squinted (two quality adjectives characterize the word being defined from different angles).
Another sign that distinguishes between homogeneous and heterogeneous definitions (examples clearly demonstrate this) is the absencelisting intonation when they reveal their various properties in objects.
Main signs of homogeneity
To determine what type definitions in a sentence belong to, you should know what features of the subject they can characterize. In the section "Homogeneous and heterogeneous definitions" (Grade 8), the main signs indicating homogeneity are given:
- enumeration of the qualities of various objects: aspens were decorated with yellow, purple and red foliage, birches - golden (definitions characterize foliage of different colors);
- revealing the signs of an object, on the one hand, or a state: a warm, quiet, unhurried rain rustled through the foliage (homogeneous definitions convey the state of rain);
- each next definition reveals or complements the meaning of the previous one: every September the forest is briefly transformed, acquiring a special, bright, unique look (the subsequent definition reveals the meaning of the previous one);
- between the definitions you can substitute the union and: on the table were pencil, ink sketches (pencil and ink sketches);
- when they convey different attributes of an object, combined in a common context by a single property: inflamed red eyes (red due to inflammation);
- when they stand after the defined word: we immediately looked after ourselves a fluffy, tall, slender Christmas tree (the defined word "tree", after which there are definitions describing it);
- when this minor member of the sentenceis an adjective and a participial phrase following it: a fragrant, toasted loaf was taken out of the oven.
Another difference between homogeneous and heterogeneous definitions is punctuation marks in a sentence. With homogeneous secondary terms, they are always placed.
Punctuation marks for homogeneous definitions
It is important to correctly determine whether or not to put punctuation marks when there are homogeneous and heterogeneous definitions in a sentence. The lesson (grade 8) on this topic gives the following examples of comma placement:
- When homogeneous definitions are expressed by a single adjective followed by a participial phrase, a comma is placed between them: the son handed his mother a large bouquet of wildflowers he had collected.
- When they list the signs of various objects, for example: red, yellow, orange, blue flowers, painted by children on a gray fence, made it festive.
- When listing different properties of one item, indicating one of its properties: cold, hard ice cream scoops were of different colors.
- When all homogeneous definitions refer to one word and you can put a union between them and: he answered with an honest, calm look (an honest and calm look).
- When they are located directly after the word being defined: he saw a girl graceful, fragile, tender.
- When they list the synonymous properties of an object in a single context: a stormy, roaring, deafening burststorm.
- When there are signs due to mutual dependence: heavy, lingering downpour (lingering due to being heavy).
Commas are not used if homogeneous and heterogeneous definitions are separated by a coordinating union and. For example: red and yellow balls (uniform definitions); the house was large and made of stone (various definitions).
Additional signs of homogeneity and heterogeneity
Besides the main ones, there are additional signs indicating that the definitions are homogeneous. This is characteristic either of poetic forms bound by the requirements of rhyme or terminology. In such speech constructions, definitions, even after the object they define, may be undefinable. For example:
- Hello, clear autumn days.
- Winter late-ripening grapes.
- Electric overhead crane.
Homogeneous and heterogeneous definitions (the exercises confirm this) can move from one quality to another. For example, when one definition comes before another, which makes up a single phrase with the subject: a long train.
A special kind of definitions
A special variety includes definitions that connect explanatory relationships. In this case, it is easy to determine where homogeneous and non-homogeneous definitions are. The test for their difference lies in the substitution of conjunctions "namely" and "that is".
- Completely different, interesting time has come (different, namely interesting).
- The play received a new, original sound (new, that is, original).
A comma is placed between homogeneous definitions linked by explanatory conditions.
Note
As the rules show, they may have exceptions or notes, which confirms the study of the topic "homogeneous and heterogeneous definitions". A lesson in grade 11 introduces students to a note on this topic. Both homogeneous and heterogeneous definitions tend to change the meaning of the sentence, for example:
- New, yellow taxis appeared on the streets of the city (the former ones were not yellow).
- New yellow taxis have appeared on the streets of the city (the number of yellow taxis has increased).
In the first example, the emphasis is on the fact that taxis in the city have turned yellow. In the second, new cars appeared among the yellow taxis.
Double punctuation
Depending on what intonation the speaker uses, in some phrases the definition following the first one may become not homogeneous, but explanatory. For example:
- New proven methods led to the result (these methods did not exist before).
- New, proven methods resulted (previous methods were not proven).
In the second example, you can substitute the unions "that is" and "namely", so a comma is placed and the intonation changes.
