Should I put a comma after ? Should I put a comma after “please”? — Useful information for everyone

One of the most common in high school is the comma before "what", "how" and in other words in structures that are connected with them. This happens, some authors of school textbooks call all constructions with these words a comparative phrase.

In fact "How" can act as a conjunction or particle. And such a construction is not always a comparative turnover. In some cases it is a circumstance.

The design acts as:

Predicate: The whole world is like an exciting adventure.
Definitions or applications: The crocodile, as a rare animal, is listed in the Red Book.
Comparative turnover or circumstances: Life seethed like a waterfall of passions.
Introductory design: I decided to change my shirt, or chemise, as my mother would say.
Subordinate part: Living in the countryside is as difficult as describing the smell of freshly cut grass in words..

Difference and other combinations

Comma before "How" is placed in the following cases:

1) If the combination means exclusively likening, i.e. it means "like" and no longer has any other meanings. This construction is called a comparative phrase and acts as a circumstance in a sentence. For example: Vasily, like a hero, defended his friend. But it is necessary to pay attention to the point that the comparative phrase is not separated by commas if it is in the middle of the sentence. In this case, the part of the sentence to which this construction relates is emphasized. For example: At the ball, Anna, in love like a passionate girl, looked into the eyes of her chosen one. In this sentence, comparative turnover is not separated from "lover" a comma only because these words have a semantic connection. If there is a comma before the word "How", then it will come out “looked like a passionate lioness”, but the sentence has a completely different meaning.

2) If the combination is used together with the conjunction “and”. This construction is also called a comparative phrase and acts as a circumstance in a sentence: Peter, like everyone else in the class, treated me well.

Applications

In order to prevent another mistake, it is necessary to decide which member of the sentence the combination we are interested in is and what words it is associated with:

1) In the case when used before a combination of words “so”, “that”, “such”, “so” and many others. Such constructions are applications, and in a sentence they act as a definition. For example: He usually did not watch films such as horror or thrillers.

2) The combination has the meaning of causality. Usually it is an application, and in a sentence it acts as a definition. For example: The doctor, as a good specialist, paid a lot of attention to sick patients. This sentence shows the reason in combination "good specialist". The doctor paid a lot of attention to sick patients because he was a good specialist. But do not confuse the application with comparative turnover. A comparative phrase is the likening of one object to another. And an application is when an object is called completely differently .

3) The conjunction is part of the expression "nothing else"; "no one else". For example: This event is nothing more than a pre-planned action. The construction given in this sentence is a nominal compound predicate. And we see that this member of the sentence is separated by a comma.

Introductory structures

In some sentences, combinations are not members of the sentence, but appear. They must be separated with commas on both sides.

1) The conjunction is combined with the following words: “now”, “now”, “before”, “always”, “usually”, “exception”, “rule”, “on purpose” and others. These combinations act as introductory words that are not any members of the sentence. For example: As if on purpose, they were in no hurry to go home.

2) The conjunction is part of the introductory sentence. For example: As Katerina correctly noted, the road was especially difficult. This sentence is simple, despite the presence of two grammatical stems. It’s just complicated by the introductory structure. In this case, the construction in which this conjunction is present is an introductory sentence. The narrator names the source of the information. The combination is separated by commas.

Comparative phrase and incomplete subordinate clause

Before deciding whether a comma is needed before "How", you need to understand exactly what the difference is between a comparative clause and an incomplete subordinate clause. It can be seen in the following example: Nowhere have I felt as good as at home. In this case, the second part is an incomplete subordinate clause. Also, do not confuse the subordinate clause, which is a one-part sentence, with a comparative phrase: Write stories like thisIt’s as difficult as describing the sound of music in words. The second part is a one-part impersonal

Connection with the predicate

There are many examples where a comma comes before "How" not put:

1) The combination is part of the predicate: Time flew by very quickly, the day felt like one hour. The comparative particle is part of the predicate and is emphasized along with it.

2) The word has a semantic connection with the predicate: The meeting flew by in a flash that I didn’t even have time to come to my senses. In this case, the comma before "How" is not placed because the entire combination with it is a predicate, and the word itself is a comparative particle. Without it, the predicate would lose its true meaning. This award was like a gift from above. This combination also acts as a predicate, because without it the sentence completely loses its meaning. And a comma before "How" that is why it is not installed.

Persistent expressions

Comma before conjunction "How" is not placed if it is part of There are a great many such examples. After the meeting, we gained confidence in the future, because everything went like clockwork. In this case, the combination is part of a compound predicate, which in this sentence is expressed by a phraseological unit. Life should be valued and cherished like the apple of your eye. The combination is also part of a predicate, which is a persistent expression. That is why the use of different ones is unacceptable here.

A few more features of the use of punctuation marks...

To make the right decision, before "How" whether a comma is needed or not, you need to pay attention to some more nuances. Is there a particle in front of this word? "Not" or these words: “simple”, “exactly”, “exactly”, “absolutely” or "almost". If they are used, then there is no need to put a comma. In this case, such a construction will be called a comparative phrase, and in the sentence it will act as a circumstance. For example: Nikolai always behaved with dignity, he acted exactly like a real man. If the combination means "in role", then the comma is also omitted: He spoke at the meeting as a mathematics teacher. This sentence means that the person acted as a mathematics teacher. In fact, he may not be one.

We see that there are quite a few nuances in the use of the comma. You need to pay special attention to them, and then you can easily and simply avoid serious mistakes.

Did you know that in the Russian language there are introductory words that are separated by commas in a sentence? If you don't know anything about it or have an idea but an incomplete one, then this article is for you. Let's refresh your memory or learn the rules with us.

The importance of punctuation

Knowing punctuation is incredibly important. Unfortunately, the average Russian does not know that “by the way”, “maybe”, “firstly”, “in my opinion” are separated by commas. And the word “probably” is not always even written with the letter “e” at the end.

When we communicate with a person not in person, but via the Internet, we often encounter illiteracy on the other side of the chat. This, of course, spoils the impression of the interlocutor, because it is literate people who are able to attract our attention to their personality. If we see that all the commas are in place, all the words are written correctly, the thought is expressed clearly, we immediately have a desire to get to know the person better, and there is a feeling that we are communicating with an intelligent, well-read and wise interlocutor.

Some people believe that literacy is not important in everyday communication. It's their business. Perhaps such people can impress us with something else. But what if you work with clients? By communicating with them, you represent the company. Your potential client may refuse your services if, through correspondence, he understands that you cannot competently construct a basic proposal.

Modern bloggers post their posts 3 times a day. Moreover, many have several thousand subscribers. And of these, a third are schoolchildren and students who, thinking that their idol is ideal in everything, adopt, due to their inexperience, the writing of words and the style of expressing thoughts. If an Instagram star becomes famous, she should think about the huge responsibility she has. You should not forget about your audience and send posts to your friends for at least a basic check - there will definitely be at least one acquaintance who can help.

In general, as we see, there are continuous advantages in literacy. Now let's study how introductory words are written and how they are separated in a sentence.

What are “introductory words”?

Introductory words are combinations of words or words that are not parts of a sentence. With their help, we express our attitude towards what we communicate. Introductory constructions and words in writing in a sentence are highlighted by commas, and in oral speech they are highlighted by intonation, that is, pauses or rapid pronunciation.

Meanings of introductory words

They have different meanings. Consider the following table with relevant examples:

Meanings Introductory words Examples 1) Degree of confidence Confidence: Of course, undoubtedly, without a doubt, of course, certainly, really, of course, really, in fact, etc. Uncertainty: probably, I believe, it should be, I think, apparently, maybe to be, in some sense, suppose, it seems, let's say, I hope, one way or another, etc. Of course, this was the best lesson in my life. – “certainly” is set off with commas Apparently, he didn’t like the performance, so he left a little earlier. 2) Expression of feelings Approval: fortunately, what is good, to general joy, what is even better, etc. Confusion: surprising, strange, to amazement, an incomprehensible matter, etc. Fears: God forbid, the hour is uneven, what good, etc. Regret: unfortunately, as a misfortune, to great regret, what is even worse, to misfortune, to chagrin, as if on purpose, alas, etc. General: jokes aside, in fact, I dare say, in truth, I must say, fairly, however, between us, I confess, essentially, in good conscience, etc. Unfortunately, my friend did not wait for me, so I had to go home alone at night. – “unfortunately” is separated by commas. It’s strange, but my stomach didn’t hurt after yesterday’s heavy dinner. 3) Ownership of the message (who it belongs to, the source of the message) According to (someone), according to the message (someone), in the opinion of (someone), according to the expression of (someone), to my look, in my opinion, according to a proverb, in your opinion, according to rumors, from the point of view of (someone), they say, as I think, as they say, as I remember, as is known, as was indicated, as it turned out , as they said (once) etc.
- in my opinion, it will rain soon - “in my opinion” is separated by commas. They say that you cannot delay treatment. 4) Notes on ways of forming thoughts In other words, it is better to say, in one word, in other words, in a word, roughly speaking, in fact, strictly speaking, directly speaking, or rather, directly speaking, in short, easier to say, as it were, what is called, so say, etc. Roughly speaking, I need to finish this task before next Monday. – “roughly speaking” is separated in a sentence by commas. To put it simply, you need to submit the original certificate to the university you most want to go to. 5) The order of thoughts, their connection Firstly, secondly, thirdly, so, so, therefore, therefore, thus, on the contrary, by the way, for example, on the contrary, in particular, for example, in addition, moreover, besides, in addition, moreover, on the one (other) side, however, in general, in addition, the main thing, by the way, therefore, by the way, etc. I visit your coffee shop quite often. For example, most often I take a latte. – “for example” is separated by commas. By the way, will you bring my book the day after tomorrow? 6) Assessment of measure and degree At least, at least, to a large extent, to one degree or another, etc. At least you came on time. - “at least” is isolated. The heat in summer, to one degree or another, is felt throughout Russia. 7) Drawing attention to the speaker You see, as you see, you know, you believe, you understand, allow, you can imagine, imagine, listen, believe, admit, you won’t believe, note, if you want to know, agree, remind, emphasize, I repeat that it is important, essential, etc. Do you believe it, after I slept for 10 hours, everything went away. – “do you believe” is isolated. Imagine, yesterday I stood waiting for my trolleybus in the rain for about an hour, but in the morning I didn’t get sick.

We hope that with the help of the table we have explained quite clearly the placement of punctuation marks in sentences with introductory words and constructions.

Introductory deception words

Don't forget that there are homonymous constructions that usually get confusing when learning the rules. In many sentences, introductory words are members of the sentence. Let's see in what situations they are part of the grammatical basis. Compare the following examples:

The doctor's decision was indisputable. The doctor's decision was undoubtedly correct.
To my happiness, a feeling of satisfaction was added. Luckily for me, the project was delivered on time.
Everything seemed so boring. Everyone seemed to be bored.

As you can see, we cannot at first glance determine whether this is an introductory word or part of a grammatical basis. You definitely need to read the sentence to understand the meaning, and then highlight the members of the sentence. Words that form a grammatical basis are not separated by commas.

Define syntactic function

So, you have come across introductory words in a sentence, but there is no comma after them, although the source is very reliable. And so you asked yourself: are the words “in general”, “really”, “however” separated by commas or not?

The answer is simple. It is necessary to track their syntactic function in a sentence. This is what determines whether a comma is placed or not. Let's look at some examples:

The word “in general” is isolated if it has the meaning “generally speaking.” Compare: In general, in principle, I do not eat dairy products. I am not allowed to consume dairy products at all.
The combination “in any case” is introductory if it has a restrictive and evaluative meaning. Compare: In any case, you completed the task first. In any case, I should help you with your test.
The word “probably” is introductory when used to mean “probably”. Wed: There will probably be a thunderstorm in two hours. I know for sure (=exactly, undoubtedly) that there will be a thunderstorm in two hours.
The word “really” is introductory if it means “truly, exactly.” Wed: Indeed, I have already seen this picture. I'm really (=really, really) smart, judging by the test results.
The combination “in fact” is not introductory in the meaning of “really”. Wed: You are really smart. Why is he really angry with me? (meaning bewilderment, indignation)
If the word “however” can be replaced with the conjunction “but”, then there is no need to put a comma. Wed: However, I will try to enter the budget with my points.
The combination “in my opinion” (note that the spelling is separate) is not isolated if it is a preposition and a pronoun. For example: A play was staged according to my script. In my opinion (introductory word, written with a hyphen), it turned out well. – here “in my opinion” is separated by commas.

Important Note

Identical to the introductory words, interjections and the words “yes” and “no” are highlighted with commas in the letter. Look at the following examples:

Oh, how long we still have to go.
Wow, now it's raining!
No, I won't eat this soup with meat.
Yes, somehow the weather today was not good, we will have to cancel the trip.

Part of speech of the word "please"

A word of courtesy "please" known to everyone, young and old. This magic word, as the famous writer V. Oseeva called it, can become the key to the tightly locked door of any heart and help open it for you if you politely express a request or wish.

Please pour me another cup of tea (M. N. Bulgakov. The White Guard).

This lexeme is used in speech as a politeness formula, just like these well-known etiquette words:

thank you
hello(those)
all the best
hi.

The word in question is a particle.

The word "please" and punctuation marks

In written speech, the word we are interested in is often used, especially when presenting a request. How should punctuation marks be placed or are they not needed at all to highlight this etiquette word?

This choice depends on its role in the sentence. Most often, this particle is used as an introductory word when expressing a request. In this case, it is synonymous with the phrase "I beg you".

Examples

Let's observe the placement of punctuation marks in passages from fiction:

Please, don’t think that I came to you so late precisely because there would be no time tomorrow, neither tomorrow nor the day after tomorrow (F. M. Dostoevsky. Humiliated and Insulted).

Explain this to me please, to clarify, before I leave here yet: I want to truly understand what is happening in my heart, because in two months we will part (Frederick Stendhal. Red and Black).

And you can raise it higher, please! (Jack London. Time-can't-wait).

If there is an address in the sentence, then the word of politeness, which is an introductory word, is separated from it by a comma:

Oh sir, please, don't be angry with me! (Charles Dickens. The Adventures of Oliver Twist).

After a personal pronoun, it is also separated by commas according to the general rule:

Only you, please, don’t tell anyone (Mark Twain. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer).

Sometimes this etiquette word is used as a particle and is located next to other particles. In this case, it is not separated by a punctuation mark from the particles, but one common comma is placed in the sentence after this entire group of words, for example:

Well please, the better (A. N. Rybakov. Dirk).

And so please, two of his stories are approved, he speaks about it with such pride, he is finally confirmed in his madness (Jack London. Martin Eden).

Let us also mention the stable phrase "please tell me", used to express indignation or surprise. This combination of words is not broken up by punctuation marks.

Tell please, what a smart guy!

Tell, please where did you find this wonderful thing?

This word can be used as an affirmative particle "Yes", then it is separated by one comma from other members of the sentence, for example:

Should I count on your help?
Always please, I'm ready!

A comma is placed before the conjunction HOW in three cases:

1. If this conjunction is included in phrases that are close in their role in the sentence to the introductory words, for example: AS A RULE, AS AN EXCEPTION, AS A CONSEQUENCE, AS ALWAYS, AS NOW, AS ON PURPOSE, AS FOR EXAMPLE, AS NOW: In the morning, as if on purpose, it started to rain;

2. If this conjunction connects parts of a complex sentence, for example: We watched for a long time as the coals of the fire smoldered;

3. If the sentence contains a circumstance expressed by a comparative phrase that begins with the conjunction HOW, for example: Her voice rang like the smallest bell;

Please note: if the sentence continues after the phrase with the conjunction HOW, then you need to put another comma at the end of the phrase. For example: Below, the water shone like a mirror; We watched for a long time as the coals of the fire smoldered, unable to tear ourselves away from this spectacle.

The phrases with the conjunction HOW are not isolated in five cases:

1. If a phrase with the conjunction HOW in a sentence acts as an adverbial circumstance of the course of action, for example: The path twisted like a snake. In such cases, the phrase with HOW can be replaced with an adverb (IN SNAKE) or a noun in the instrumental case (SNAKE). Unfortunately, the circumstances of the course of action cannot always be distinguished with complete confidence from the circumstances of comparison.

2. If the phrase with the conjunction HOW is part of a phraseological unit, for example: During lunch she sat as if on pins and needles;

3. If a phrase with the conjunction HOW is part of the predicate and a sentence without such a phrase does not have a complete meaning, for example: She behaves like a mistress;

4. If the conjunction HOW stands between the subject and the predicate (without this conjunction a dash would have to be placed there), for example: The lake is like a mirror;

5. If the comparative phrase is preceded by the negation NOT or the particle AT ALL, COMPLETELY, ALMOST, LIKE, EXACTLY, EXACTLY, SIMPLY, for example: They don't do everything like neighbors or Her hair is curly just like her mother's;

In addition, we must remember that the word AS can be part of the compound conjunction AS... SO AND... or SO AS, as well as phrases SINCE AS, SINCE THE TIME AS, AS LESS (MORE) POSSIBLE, etc. In this case, naturally, a comma is not placed before HOW, for example: All the windows, both in the manor's house and in the servants' rooms, are wide open.(Saltykov-Shchedrin). He did not take cutlets with him for breakfast and now regretted it, since he was already hungry(According to Chekhov).