Incorrect punctuation is one of the typical mistakes made in writing. The most difficult punctuation rules usually include setting commas in sentences where there are heterogeneous or homogeneous definitions. Only a clear idea of their features and differences helps to make the recording correct and well read.
What is a definition?
This is a minor member of the sentence, indicating the sign, property or quality of the subject designated by the noun. It is most often expressed by the name adjective ( white scarf ), participle ( running boy ), pronoun ( our house ), ordinal number ( second number ) and answers the questions "what?" "whose?". However, there may be cases of using a noun as a definition (a dress in a cage ), a verb in the form of an infinitive (a dream about the possibility of flying ), an adjective to a simple comparative degree (an older girl seemed ), an adverb ( a hard-boiled egg ).
What are homogeneous members
The definition of this concept is given in the syntax and concerns the structure of a simple (or predicative part of a complex) sentence. Homogeneous members are expressed in words of one part of speech and in the same form, depending on the same word. Therefore, they will answer the general question and perform the same syntactic function in the sentence. Homogeneous members are connected by a composing or non-union connection. It should also be noted that their permutation as a part of the syntactic construction is usually possible.
Based on the above rule, we can say that homogeneous definitions characterize the subject on the basis of common (similar) signs, qualities. Consider the sentence: " In the garden, white, scarlet, burgundy buds of roses that have not yet blossomed proudly rose above their fellow flowers ." The homogeneous definitions used in it denote color, which means they characterize an object according to the same attribute. Or another example: “ Soon, low, heavy clouds loomed over the city, languishing with heat .” In this sentence, one feature is logically related to another.
Inhomogeneous and homogeneous definitions: distinguishing features
This question is often difficult. To understand the material, let us consider in more detail what features each group of definitions has.
Homogeneous | Heterogeneous |
Each definition refers to one definable word: “ From all sides there was a cheerful, unbridled laughter of the children ” | The closest definition refers to the noun, and the second to the resulting combination: “ On this frosty January morning, I did not want to go outside for a long time ” |
All adjectives, as a rule, are of high quality: “ A beautiful, new bag hung on Katyusha’s shoulder ” | The combination of a high-quality adjective with a relative or with a pronoun, participle, numeral: a large stone castle, my good friend, the third intercity bus |
You can insert a connecting union And: " For the crafts needed white, red, (And) blue sheets of paper " | Impossible to use with I.: “ Tatyana had an old straw hat in one hand, she kept a string bag with vegetables in the other ” |
Expressed in one part of speech. Exception: adjective + participle or inconsistent definitions after the noun | They relate to different parts of the speech: “ Finally, we waited for the first light frost (numeral + adjective) and went on the road ” |
These are the main features, the knowledge of which will make it easy to distinguish sentences with homogeneous definitions and heterogeneous ones. And that means putting punctuation marks correctly.
In addition, when performing syntactic and punctuation analysis of a sentence, one must remember the following important points.
Definitions that are always homogeneous
- Adjectives standing next to each characterize the subject on one basis: size, color, geographical location, rating, sensations, etc. “ In the bookstore, Zahar bought books on German, Italian, and French culture in advance .”
- The group of synonyms used in the sentence: they name the same attribute differently. “ From early morning, everyone in the house was in a cheerful, festive mood caused by yesterday’s news .”
- Definitions following a noun, with the exception of terms such as a clamshell overhead crane. For example, in A. Pushkin we find in a poem: " On the winter road, a boring three greyhound runs ." In this case, each of the adjectives refers directly to the noun, while each definition is logically distinguished.
- The homogeneous members of a sentence represent a semantic gradation, i.e. designation of a sign by increase. “The sisters, seized with a joyful, festive, radiant mood, could no longer hide their emotions .”
- Inconsistent definitions. For example: " A tall man cheerfully entered the room in a warm sweater, with shining eyes, a bewitching smile ."
Combination of single adjective and participial
We must also dwell on the following group of definitions. It is an adjective and participial phrase used nearby and related to the same noun. Here, punctuation is dependent on the position of the latter.
The definitions corresponding to the “single adjective + participial turnover” scheme are almost always uniform. For example, " In the distance were visible dark mountains towering above the forest ." However, if the participle is used before the adjective and refers not to the noun, but to the whole combination, the rule “punctuation marks with uniform definitions” does not work. For example, " Yellow leaves swirling in the autumn air smoothly descended onto the moist ground ."
One more thing to consider. Consider this example: " In the midst of thick, darkened at dusk, branchy fir trees, it was difficult to discern a narrow path laid to the lake ." This is a sentence with separate homogeneous definitions expressed by participial circulation. Moreover, the first of them is located between two single adjectives and clarifies the meaning of the word "thick". Therefore, according to the rules for registering homogeneous members, it is distinguished in letters by punctuation marks.
Cases when a comma is optional but preferable
- Homogeneous definitions (examples of them can often be found in fiction) mean different, but usually accompanying each other causal signs. For example, “ At night, (you can insert BECAUSE) deserted streets clearly visible long shadows from trees and lanterns .” Another example: " Suddenly, the deafening, (BECAUSE) terrible thunderous blows came to the old man's ears ."
- Suggestions with epithets giving a diverse description of the subject. For example, “ And now, looking at Luzhin’s large, pale face , she ... was filled with ... pity ” (V. Nabokov). Or at A. Chekhov: " It was rainy, dirty, dark autumn ."
- When using adjectives in a figurative meaning (close to epithets): " Timothy ’s big, fishy eyes were sad and looked carefully in front of them ."
Such homogeneous definitions - examples show this - are an excellent means of expression in a work of art. With their help, writers and poets emphasize certain significant details in the description of the subject (person).
Exceptional Cases
Sometimes in speech you can find sentences with homogeneous definitions expressed by a combination of qualitative and relative adjectives. For example, " More recently, old, low houses stood on this place, now new, tall ones stood out ." As this example shows, in such a case, two groups of definitions stand out, referring to the same noun, but having the opposite meaning.
Another case concerns definitions related to each other by explanatory relationships. " Quite different, alien sounds to the boy were heard from the open window ." In this sentence, after the first definition, the words "namely", "that is," will be appropriate.
Punctuation rules
It all depends on how homogeneous definitions are related. Commas are set with no-union communication. Example: “ A short, wrinkled, hunchbacked old woman sat silently on an open door sitting on a porch .” In the presence of composing unions ("as a rule", "and") punctuation marks are not needed. "The women in white and blue homespun shirts peered into the distance, hoping to recognize the rider approaching them ." Thus, punctuation rules apply to these sentences that apply to all syntactic constructions with homogeneous members.
If the definitions are heterogeneous (their examples are discussed in the table), no comma is placed between them. The exception is offers with combinations that allow for double interpretation. For example, " After much debate and reflection, it was decided to resort to other proven methods ." In this case, it all depends on the meaning of the participle. A comma is placed if you can insert “namely” before the word “verified”.
Conclusion
An analysis of the foregoing leads to the conclusion that punctuation literacy is more dependent on the knowledge of a particular theoretical material on the syntax: what is a definition, homogeneous members of a sentence.