Punctuation marks in Russian perform several functions. They replace intonation pauses and highlighting key words, lowering/raising the voice, which are typical for oral speech. Depending on the purpose, they can be divided into several groups.
Signs at the end of a sentence
All punctuation marks have their specific meaning. So, at the end of the sentence, either a dot or an ellipsis, question and exclamation marks are put.
- A period is needed if the statement contains some kind of message and is of a narrative nature: "It was snowing all day today, from morning until late evening."
- An ellipsis indicates that the thought expressed in the sentence is not finished and needs to be continued: "Please tell me, could you…".
- Question punctuation marks are used if sentences contain the question: "Where are you still running?".
- Exclamatory - when the statement contains an impulse to something or emotional intensity: "Sanya, how glad I am to see you! Goover here!".
Signs within a sentence
Your punctuation marks are used inside the sentence. These are comma, semicolon, colon and dash, brackets. In addition, there are also quotes that can open and close an independent statement, and also located inside an already created one. We put a comma in the following cases:
- With homogeneous members of the sentence, separating them from each other: "Snowflakes over the ground are spinning softly, smoothly, measuredly."
- When it serves as a boundary of simple sentences in a complex one: "Thunder struck, and the rain poured down like a solid wall."
- Punctuation marks when separating participles and participles: "Smiling, the boy kept talking and talking without stopping. His interlocutors, laughing heartily, were very pleased with the boy."
- If the sentence contains introductory words or plug-in constructions: "I think the weather should recover soon."
- When conjunctions "but, ah, yes and" and others, this punctuation mark is required: "At first I decided to go for a walk, but then I changed my mind."
The list of punctograms, of course, is far from complete. To clarify it, you should refer to syntax textbooks.
The colon is placed according to certain rules:
- It is used with generalizing words: "Everywhere: through the rooms, in the corridor, even in the remote corners of the pantry andkitchens - multi-colored lights of garlands shone.
- In complex sentences, a colon is placed in explanatory relations within its parts: "My friend was not mistaken with the forecasts: heavy, low clouds were slowly but surely gathering in the west."
- In direct speech, one should also not forget about this punctuation mark: it separates the words of the author: "Coming close, the guy frowned menacingly and hissed: "Maybe we'll go out?".
A semicolon is written if the sentence is complex, non-union, and there is no close connection between its parts, or each part has its own punctuation marks: "Meanwhile it got dark; lights flickered here and there in the houses, wisps of smoke stretched from the chimneys, the smell of food being cooked."
Dash is also used in non-union sentences or if the subject and predicate are expressed by a noun in the presence of the particle "this", etc.: "Spring is the brilliance of the sun, the blue of the sky, the joyful awakening of nature."
Each punctogram has a number of nuances and clarifications, so for competent writing it is necessary to regularly work with reference books.
