Introductory are such words and phrases that are part of the sentence, but do not enter into a syntactic relationship with its members. As a rule, they serve to express the attitude of the speaker to the expressed thought. Most often they are separated by commas on both sides. Sentences with introductory words can be easily identified by remembering simple rules:
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sentences with introductory words Introductory construction (word, phrase, sentence) can be removed without losing the meaning of the text ("This spring, of course, the weather did not please the residents of St. Petersburg" and "This spring, the weather did not please the residents of St. Petersburg").
- It cannot be questioned by other members of the proposal.
- Introductory words and sentences are easily replaced by other constructions that are close in meaning ("Frankly, he could not be accused of abuse of power" or "Frankly, he could not be accused of abuse of power").
In terms of meaning, introductory words can indicate:
- Source of information for what was said:“This book is said to have been written a long time ago.”
- Frequency of action taken: "She cooked only gourmet meals for dinner as usual."
- Degree of confidence from the speaker's point of view: "Probably because of the noise, he hastened to leave this place."
- Way of expressing thought: "In other words, with all the desire he could not take part in the competition."
- Appeal to the interlocutor: "The products of this master, you know, have always been distinguished by special sophistication."
- Emotions and feelings of the speaker: "The probability of flooding, unfortunately, was great."
- Thought connection: "Hence, these people have never harmed the animals living here."
Sentences with introductory words. Punctuation
Introductory constructions are separated by commas, but most of the words used in this capacity can serve as different members of the sentence. You should pay attention to the fact that sentences with some particles, predicates and circumstances that are not distinguished by punctuation marks can very much resemble sentences with introductory words. Examples:
- "Crop yields may be reduced as a result of adverse weather conditions."
- "Mary liked him mostly for his straightforwardness."
- "However, he missed the train and stayed in the city for another three days."
Introductory sentences also follow a few additional rules:
- A comma is included when listing several introductory words: "It seems, to be honest, that she did not open the task before doing the work."
- The introductory construction can be before, inside or after a separate turnover. Here, too, several options should be highlighted:
- Sentences with introductory words, where they are before a separate turnover. In them, a comma is placed before the introductory construction and after the turnover: “Ivan Petrovich used the skill he had acquired, in particular, doing small jobs at home.”
- Inside a separate turnover, the introductory word stands out on both sides: "Arina did not stop fussily shifting things from box to box, while thinking, however, carefully and thoughtfully."
- When the introductory construction is at the end, a comma is placed before and after the isolated turnover: “Having written a leave, Maxim decided that it would be great to go on a trip, to Mexico for example.”
3. Introductory words, depending on the context, may or may not be separated from the union. If such a construction can be removed or rearranged, a comma is placed. If this is not possible, the union and the introductory word are not separated by commas.
