The comma is the simplest and most prosaic, but at the same time the most insidious sign. Its setting implies an understanding of how speech is built and structured, what meanings appear and disappear if the comma is incorrectly set. Of course, in a small article it is impossible to describe in which cases a comma is put and to list absolutely everything; we will dwell only on the most common and simple ones.
Enumeration and homogeneous members
Correct setting of commas in a simple sentence begins with knowledge of 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 a sentence. The rule is simple: if the union is single, a comma is not needed:
I love dogs, cats and horses.
If there are more than one unions, then the comma is placed before the second union and further:
I love dogs, cats, and horses.
Otherwise, a comma is placed before the union “a”. The rule dictates the setting of the sign in any case and also applies to the union “but”, and the union “yes” in the meaning of “but”:
My neighbor loves not cats, but cats.
Cats love cautious people, but shun noisy and evil.
Personal pronoun definition
Difficulties with where a comma is needed also arise when it comes to definition. However, here everything is simple.
If a single definition refers to a personal pronoun, it is separated by a comma:
Satisfied, she entered the room and showed the purchase.
I saw this dog then. She, joyful, wagged her tail, trembled and all the time jumped on the owner.
Stand-alone definition
If you memorize the rules about when a comma is placed, then the third paragraph should be a separate definition.
By a separate definition is meant primarily a participial turnover. It is separated by commas when it follows the word to which it refers:
A boy who has read travel books will never pass indifferently past a travel agency or past a store with tents and flashlights.
The cat, barely waiting for the treats, now purred and gently glanced at the owner.
Wed:
Having read books about travels, the boy will never pass indifferently past a travel agency or past a store with tents and flashlights.
The cat, barely waiting for the treats, now purred and gently glanced at the owner.
Isolated circumstances
Commas in both the simple and complex sentences separate the single participle and the participle revolution:
Purring, the cat lay down on my lap.
The dog, growling, still calmed down and let us talk.
Having made a number of comments about the new project, the boss retired.
Introductory words
Introductory words - these are the words that show the reliability of information, its source or relation to this information of the speaker.
These are words that could potentially be expanded into a sentence:
This artist, of course, won the hearts of all his contemporaries.
Natasha, it seems, is not going to take care of her father.
Leonid, apparently, does not suspect why so many people have appeared around him lately.
Appeals
If a sentence is present in a sentence, and this is not a pronoun, then it must be separated by commas on both sides.
Hello dear Leo!
Goodbye, Lidia Borisovna.
You know, Masha, what do I want to tell you?
Linda, come to me!
Unfortunately, ignorance of the cases in which a comma is given during treatment often leads to illiterate execution of business letters. Among these errors are the omission of a comma when handling, and the setting of an extra comma when pronoun:
Good afternoon Pavel Evgenievich! (Needed: Good afternoon, Pavel Evgenievich! )
Svetlana Borisovna, we have also prepared for you our new samples. ( Needed : Svetlana Borisovna, we also prepared our new samples for you.)
How do you think this agreement should be concluded? ( Needed : Do you think this contract should be concluded?)
Comma in a complex sentence
In general, all the rules regarding the cases in which a comma is placed in a complex sentence, are reduced, in fact, to one: all parts of any complex sentence must be separated from each other by a punctuation mark.
Spring has come, the sun has shined, sparrows have begun to bustle, children triumphantly have run running.
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.
And what else to do if you do not have fun when nothing else remains?
At the head of the procession was some kind of red-haired little boy; he was probably the most important one.
A comma in a complex sentence is put in all cases, except for the unifying word, and if no other sign is needed at the junction of the parts of the sentence, primarily the colon.
Exception: unifying word
If the parts of a compound sentence are united by a single word (for example, a subordinate union), then a comma between these parts of the sentence is not put:
When spring came and the birds arrived, our company somehow revived.
Wed: Spring came, the birds arrived, and our company somehow revived.
This word can be not only at the very beginning of a sentence:
We will go to this meeting only as a last resort, only if all conditions are agreed and the text of the agreement is agreed.
A comma or a colon?
In a union-free sentence, instead of a comma, a colon should appear if the meaning of the first part is disclosed in the second:
It was a wonderful time: we drew what we wanted.
Now he proceeded to the most important thing: he made a gift for his mother.
The dog no longer wanted to walk: the owners were so intimidated by its training that it was easier to sit out under the table.
Sentences with the word "how"
Many errors regarding the cases in which the comma is placed arise due to a misunderstanding of the difference between the two meanings of the word “how”.
The first meaning of this word is comparative. In this case, in the sentence, the comparative turnover is separated by commas:
The aspen leaf, like a butterfly, rose higher and higher .
The second meaning is an indication of identity. In such cases, the turnover with the “how” is not separated by commas:
Butterfly as an insect is of little interest to people who are used to seeing a source of heat and communication in animals.
Therefore, the sentence: “ I, as your mother, will not allow you to 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 thing), so commas are not needed.
If the speaker compares himself to the listener's mother (“I” and “mother” are not the same thing, “I” is compared ”to“ mother ”), then 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 set:
The lake is like a mirror. ( Compare : The lake, like a mirror, sparkled and reflected the clouds).
Music is like life. (Music, like life, does not last forever.)
Formal signs of the need for a comma: trust or not?
Pay special attention to suggestions in which cases a comma is placed. However, do not trust them too much.
So, for example, this primarily concerns whether the comma is placed before the "so." The rule, it would seem, is unequivocal: “A comma is always put before the“ so that ”. However, any rule should not be taken too literally. For example, a sentence with “so” might be:
He wanted to talk to her to find out the truth and to talk about how he lived his life.
As you can see, the rule works here, but the second “so” does not involve a comma. However, this error is quite common:
We went to the store just to study prices and to see what you can buy for dinner in this city.
That's right : We went to the store just to study prices and to 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, a word has two meanings, and secondly, it can be part of different members of a sentence, therefore one should not trust the common wording “There is always a comma before”.
The third common case of formal signs of the need for a comma is the word "yes." However, it should be treated with great caution. The word “yes” has several meanings, including “and”:
He took the brush and went to paint.
Jackdaws and crows flocked, and there were no bluebells, and no.
Such formal signs should rather be regarded as potentially "dangerous" places. Words such as “so”, “whatever”, “how”, “yes” can indicate that there may be a comma in this sentence. These “signals” will help not to miss the commas in sentences, but the rule concerning these signs themselves should never be overlooked in a coma.
At the same time, when placing the commas, you should rather focus not on the "rules", but on the meaning of the sign. The comma is generally intended to separate homogeneous sentence members, parts of a complex sentence, as well as fragments that do not fit into the sentence structure, which are foreign to it (calls, introductory words, etc.). The rules only specify each case. This even applies to the formula “need a comma before“ to ”.” This rule actually concretizes the general principle of punctuation of complex sentences. In general, of course, when writing, you need to think!