A one-part indefinitely personal sentence is a syntactic construction in which there is only one main member - a predicate, usually expressed by a verb in 3l. plural in the present or future tense of the imperative or indicative mood. For example: They quarreled loudly behind the wall. And also in the plural. past tense in the indicative or conditional mood. For example: Today Anton was scolded insultingly and kicked out from the table. If they let me, I would have done it a long time ago. Also, short forms of an adjective or participle can also act as a predicate, then it is already a nominal, not a verb: We are always welcome here.
Let's consider the features of this type of sentences, their structure, difference from other one-part constructions and punctuation rules in them.
Different from an incomplete sentence
An indefinitely personal sentence has an independent status as a structure, because, unlike an incomplete one, the person described in this context cannot be restored from the previous text.
For example: Andrey and Olga took a long time to get to the village. When we arrived, it was already verylate.
In the last sentence, the subject is restored from the previous text. They (Andrey and Olga) arrived. So it's incomplete.
The only sound in the dining room was the clattering of spoons. This is a vaguely personal sentence, as knocking is an action performed by someone who is not important to the hearer. Also, the subject of action in them may be unknown to the narrator: Somewhere they laughed out loud.
Interestingly, sentences like "You're being told to dress warmly" have a subject that can be identified. Here what is said clearly expresses the action of the speaker. But in such a situation, there is a kind of “alienation” effect, because the one who speaks takes the position of another person.
Indefinitely personal sentences are used most often in colloquial speech. They help to focus on the action or event itself, without specifying who might have done it.
How to distinguish an indefinitely personal sentence from an impersonal one
In an impersonal construction it is indicated those actions or states that do not depend on the subject. For example: The house is bright and festive. It has long since dawned. The predicate here is expressed by adverbs - light and festive - and by an impersonal verb - it dawned. Sometimes the predicate can be expressed and the words were not or not. For example: There was no fun.
When trying to distinguish between an indefinitely personal sentence and an impersonal one, it is necessary to remember, first of all, thatthat in the first predicate is always in the plural. While in the second case it can be in the singular.
Punctuation marks in complex sentences with indefinite personal basis
In a compound sentence, where parts are impersonal or indefinitely personal with the same form of the predicate, a comma is not put. For example: We were placed around the table and food and drinks were brought into the room.
When considering indefinitely personal sentences, examples of their differences from other types of syntactic constructions with an incomplete stem, you need to remember their main features, and then the definition of the structure will not cause difficulties.
