Comma is the simplest and most prosaic, but at the same time the most insidious sign. Its formulation implies an understanding of how speech is built and structured, what meanings appear and disappear if a comma is incorrectly placed. Of course, in a small article it is impossible to describe in which cases a comma is placed and list absolutely everything, we will focus only on the most common and simple ones.
Enumeration and homogeneous members
Correct placement of commas in a simple sentence starts with knowing the rule that homogeneous members of a sentence must be separated by a comma:
I love, adore, idolize cats.
I love cats, dogs, horses.
Difficulties arise if there is a union "and" between homogeneous members of the sentence. The rule here is simple: if the union is single, the comma is not needed:
I love dogs, cats and horses.
If there are more than one union, then a comma is placed before the second union and then:
I love dogs and cats and horses.
Otherwise, a comma is placed before the union "a". The rule dictates the placement of the sign in any case and also applies to the union "but" and the union "yes" in the meaning"but":
My neighbor doesn't like dogs, she likes cats.
Cats love cautious people, but shun noisy and angry people.
Definition with a personal pronoun
Difficulties with where a comma is needed also arise when it comes to a definition. However, everything is simple here.
If a single definition refers to a personal pronoun, it is separated by a comma:
Satisfied, she entered the room and showed her purchase.
I saw that dog then. She, joyful, wagged her tail, trembled and jumped all the time at the owner.
Separate definition
If you're learning the rules about when to put a comma, then the third paragraph should be a separate definition.
Under a separate definition, first of all, participial turnover is meant. It is separated by commas when it follows the word it refers to:
A boy who has read travel books will never walk past a travel agency or a shop with tents and flashlights.
The cat, barely waiting for a treat, now purred and looked affectionately at the owner.
Compare:
A boy who has read travel books will never pass by a travel agency or a store with tents and flashlights.
The cat that had barely waited for the treat was now purring and looking affectionately at the owner.
Special circumstances
Commas and in simple,and in a complex sentence, a single gerund and participle are separated:
Curling, the cat lay down on my lap.
The dog, growling, still calmed down and let us talk.
After making some remarks about the new project, the chief left.
Introductory words
Introductory words are words that show the reliability of information, its source or the attitude of the speaker to this information.
These are words that could potentially be expanded into a sentence:
This artist, of course, won the hearts of all his contemporaries.
Natasha doesn't seem to be going to take care of her father.
Leonid apparently does not suspect why so many people have appeared around him lately.
Appeals
If there is an address in the sentence, and this is not a pronoun, then it must be separated by commas on both sides.
Hello dear Leo!
Goodbye, Lydia Borisovna.
You know, Masha, what I want to tell you?
Linda, come to me!
Unfortunately, ignorance of the cases in which a comma is used when addressing often leads to illiterate formatting of business letters. Among these errors are the omission of a comma when addressing, and the use of an extra comma in a pronoun:
Good afternoon Pavel Evgenievich! (Needed: Good afternoon, Pavel Evgenievich!)
Svetlana Borisovna we have also prepared our new samples for you. (Need: SvetlanaBorisovna, we have also prepared our new designs for you.)
How do you think it is expedient to conclude this agreement? (Needed: Do you think it is advisable to conclude this agreement?)
Comma in a complex sentence
In general, all the rules regarding when a comma is used in a complex sentence essentially come down to one thing: all parts of any complex sentence must be separated from each other by a punctuation mark.
Spring came, the sun shone, sparrows fussed, children ran triumphantly.
They bought a new computer for him, since the old one could no longer work due to the small amount of memory and incompatibility with new programs.
What else to do if not to have fun when there is nothing else to do?
A red-haired boy walked at the head of the procession, he was probably the most important one.
A comma in a complex sentence is used in all cases, except for the unifying word, and if another sign is not needed at the junction of parts of the sentence, first of all, a colon.
Exception: unifying word
If parts of a compound sentence are combined by a single word (for example, a subordinating conjunction), then a comma is not put between these parts of the sentence:
When spring came and the birds arrived, our company somehow revived.
Compare: Spring came, the birds flew in, and our company somehow revived.
This word can be not only at the very beginningoffers:
We will go to this meeting only as a last resort, only if all conditions are agreed and the text of the contract is agreed.
Comma or colon?
In a non-union complex sentence, a colon should be used instead of a comma if the meaning of the first part is revealed in the second:
It was a wonderful time: we drew what we wanted.
Now he got down to the most important thing: he was making a gift for his mother.
The dog no longer wanted to walk: the owners intimidated her by training so much that it was easier to sit under the table.
Sentences with "how"
Many mistakes regarding when to use a comma stem from a misunderstanding of the difference between the two meanings of the word "as".
The first meaning of this word is comparative. In this case, in the sentence, the comparative turnover is separated by commas:
Aspen leaf rose higher and higher like a butterfly.
The second meaning is an indication of identity. In such cases, the turnover with “as” is not separated by commas:
A butterfly as an insect is of little interest to people who are accustomed to seeing animals as a source of warmth and communication.
Therefore, the sentence: “I, like your mother, will not let you ruin your life” can be punctuated in two ways. If the speaker is really the listener's mother, then the word "how" is used as a word indicating identity ("I" and "mother" are the same), so commas are not needed.
If the speaker compares himself with his motherlistener ("I" and "mom" are not the same thing, "I" is compared with "mom"), so commas are needed:
I, like your mother, will not let you ruin your life.
In the event that "how" is part of the predicate, the comma is also not put:
A lake like a mirror. (Compare: The lake, like a mirror, sparkled and reflected the clouds.)
Music is like life. (Music, like life, doesn't last forever.)
Formal signs of the need for a comma: trust or not?
To pay attention to the cases in which a comma is placed, special signs of sentences will help. However, don't trust them too much.
So, for example, it primarily concerns whether a comma is placed before "to". The rule, it would seem, is unambiguous: “A comma is always placed before “to””. However, any rule should not be taken too literally. For example, a sentence with "to" might be:
He wanted to talk to her to find out the truth and to tell her how he lived his life.
As you can see, the rule works here, but the second "to" does not require a comma. However, this mistake is quite common:
We went to the store just to check the prices and to see what you can buy for dinner in this city.
Correct: We went to the store just to look at the prices and see what you can buy for dinner in this city.
The same goes for the word "how". It has already been said above that, firstly, the word has two meanings, and secondly, it can be part of different members of the sentence, so trustthere is no comma in front of “how” is always used.
The third common case of a formal sign of the need for a comma is the word "yes". However, it should also be treated with great caution. The word "yes" has several meanings, including "and":
He took the brush and went to paint.
Daws and crows flocked, but there were no titmouses, and no.
Such formal signs should rather be treated as potentially "dangerous" places. Words like “to”, “what”, “how”, “yes” can signal that there may be a comma in this sentence. These "signals" will help you not to miss commas in sentences, but the rule regarding these characters themselves should never be overlooked.
At the same time, when arranging commas, it is necessary, rather, to focus not on the “rules”, but on the meaning of the sign. The comma, in general, is intended to separate homogeneous members of a sentence, parts of a complex sentence, as well as fragments that do not fit into the structure of the sentence, which are alien to it (addresses, introductory words, etc.). Rules only specify each case. This even applies to the formula “need a comma before “to””. This rule actually specifies the general principle of punctuation for complex sentences. In general, of course, when writing, you need to think!
