Why do you need punctuation and what are punctuation marks. Period, period, comma: an overview of common punctuation errors and how to fix them

What is punctuation for?

Punctuation is the marks that are used in writing for order. To separate groups of words from each other and make reading easier.

In a conversation, we pronounce words either loudly or quietly; either quickly or slowly. In the text, these differences help to understand the meaning of the sentence, as it shows how it should be pronounced. Punctuation marks mark the beginning and end of a sentence, as well as the place in a sentence where you need to pause.

Pay attention to how the meaning changes depending on the placement of punctuation marks:

Without punctuation, even single-meaning words would be difficult to read. Compare two letters:

Knowing how to punctuate is an important skill. It is necessary in order to make your text understandable. And you definitely need to buy it if you want to master more complex types of writing.

Brief overview of punctuation marks.

Dot. Period at the end of a sentence.

A sentence is a group of words expressing a complete thought. A sentence begins with a capital letter and usually ends with a period, unless it is a question or an exclamation. A period at the end of a sentence usually marks a pause. She points to the place in the conversation where the speaker's voice drops and he pauses. Only in the following two cases is a period not used at the end of a sentence:

1. If a sentence is a question, it must end with a question mark, not a period. For example:Which gate number do I go to ?

2. If the sentence expresses strong feelings, you can put an exclamation point at the end:I hate that !

Division into sentences

In order to know where to put dots, you need to be able to highlight a sentence. To form a sentence, a group of words must express a single meaning. An ordinary sentence has a subject (the person or thing doing the action):The post man opened the parcel .

The offer can be very short. In this case, its meaning will depend on the sentences surrounding it. Take a look at this example:What did you say ? Nothing . Here nothing is a sentence: from the previous question, we know what it is about, and therefore after this word we put a period. Sentences can be combined with words likeand , but , so or because into one big representation with a dot at the end. For example: The postman opened the parcel and the counterfeit money fell out.

Shortened words

A period may be placed after an abbreviation (a shortened form of a word), where it replaces those letters that were not written.

If the abbreviation is at the end of a sentence, put only one period:She works for the U . N .

However, after the abbreviation, the dot is not always put, for example, both spellingsUN and U . N . are correct. Use a period to make your text understandable. For example:Mon . morning (= Monday morning ) more clear thanMon morning .

With words likeMister, which are usually abbreviated to the first and last letters, the period is not used, for example, Mr Thomas .

Freddie is trying to write a letter. He must use three dots in it. Where should he put them so that he is understood correctly?

Comma
Commas when listing

If the sentence contains an enumeration, use commas to separate words from each other. Usually the last two words in the enumeration are connected, with the wordand . In this case, a comma beforeand not set. For example: These are made from eggs, flour, water, cheese and herbs.

Sometimes, however, a comma is needed to make a sentence clearer:Jim ordered tomato soup , cheese , and coffee ice cream . In this sentence, the comma indicates that Jim ordered cheese and coffee ice cream , but not cheese and coffee ice cream !

When listing adjective words that describe objects) before nouns (words that describe an object), commas are optional. ATdeep , cold pond it is better to put a comma; inbig blue eyes she is not needed. Put commas where you would pause.

To bet or not to bet?

1. Put commas before wordsbut , although , so , yet and or when you use them to link two main sentences. For example: It is a tough journey , carefully .

Do not put a comma between two main clauses if there is a word between themand : Our ship docked and the officers came board . If a andintroduces a new thought or you need to make the sentence more understandable, a comma is still better to put: This is good news , and I shall pass it on .

2. Separate a phrase or phrase at the beginning of a sentence with a comma:After this row , they felt better . You can omit a comma after a short phrase.

If a phrase or phrase occurs in the middle of a sentence, it can be separated by double commas to make it easier to understand:She whistled and luckily her followed (here you can't do without commas).

3. Commas may be needed to separate the main clause from the subordinate clause. This is especially true in cases where the subordinate clause precedes the main one:While Zoe wrote , Pit washed up .

4. A subordinate clause beginning with wordswho, whom or which , should be separated from the main comma if its content is not essential for the meaning of the main. The rejection of the comma in this case emphasizes the role of the subordinate clause in the statement and may thus change the meaning. For example:

More about dots and commas

ellipsis

An ellipsis is used to show that some words are missing or that a sentence is not complete:

Do not use ellipsis after words likeand so on and cetera . In these cases, a dot is put.

Numbers

In mathematics, a point is used as an indicator of a decimal fraction (for example, 1.5 means "one and a half"). Always use decimal points carefully, as the difference between dotted numbers (like 1.5) and non-dotted numbers (compare 15) can be huge!

In written English, a comma is used in numbers containing more than 4 digits, such as 10,000. Start counting from the right and put a comma every three digits. This will make reading numbers easier. However, in mathematics and scientific calculations, this is usually not done.

Colon and semicolon
Semicolon

Here are two cases to watch out for:

1. A semicolon can separate two related and equally important main clauses. It can replace a period or words such asand or but . For example : He lifted the lid; the lost gems fell out. In this example, the semicolon creates a dramatic effect by connecting short, related sentences. A period, on the contrary, leaves the impression of jerky sentences:He elevated the lid . The lost gems fell out. And with the word and the word would lose its drama : He lifted the lid and the lost gems fell out. If using a semicolon seems too complicated for you, don't use it. For practical purposes, remember that you can use a semicolon before words likebesides , consequently , therefore at , even so , still , otherwise and more overif they link two main clauses. For example: Their train was late; even so, they got the connection .

The semicolon is also used in enumeration. Usually a comma is used for this in a sentence, but if the enumeration series consists of complex and long phrases (often already containing commas), it is advisable to use a semicolon. For example: To make this bag, you will need a large, sturdy needle for sewing tough fabrics; extremely thick thread made of nylon or some sort of synthetic material; coarse, rip-stop gray fabric with the logo printed on it; and finally, a write button of any sort.

Colon

The colon has two functions:

1. It often (though not always) precedes enumerations. For example: To build a model train tunnel, you will need: shoe box, sandpaper, paints and glue . The colon can be omitted here. : … you will need a shoebox sandpaper…

The use of a colon is mandatory in two cases:

A) when the words are arranged in a column.

You will need:

A shoe box

sandpaper

Paints

adhesive.

AT ) when listed precede clauses like You will need the following: or Here is a checklist of things you should do:. In such cases, you cannot do without a colon, since the enumeration is preceded by a pause.

2. A colon can be placed between two main sentences if the second sentence explains or summarizes what was said in the first:

We soon solved the myself of the missing sausages: the dog had helped himself. ( explanation )

As she read the letter, she grinned and hugged everyone: she was over the moon with joy. ( generalization)

Question mark
direct questions

A direct question is a question followed by a question mark. Such a question requires an answer.

Here's what direct questions look like:

In longer utterances, other words may precede the immediate interrogative part, but the word order (predicate/subject or interrogative word/predicate/subject) remains unchanged. For example:So then , why are you tired ?

Direct questions can be very short: they may not have a predicate or subject, for example:why?

Since the question mark occupies the same place as the period in a sentence, a capital letter is used after it:why are you tired ? It is only ten o'clock.

Exclamation point
When to use an exclamation mark?

The exclamation point is optional. There is no clear rule for an exclamation point. The best advice is not to abuse it. When you use too many exclamation points, they lose their expressive power. Put an exclamation point after interjections( Ouch !) or when you want to draw attention to the strength of the feeling being expressed.

Consider an example : What a storm! It was unbelievable! The thunder and lightning were continuous, the sky was black and the rain came down in torrents! Within seconds, we were soaked! I have never been so scared!

The effect of such a sentence with fewer exclamation points is stronger: What a storm ! It was unbelievable. The thunder and lightning were continuous, the sky was black and the rain came down in torrents. Within seconds, we were soaked. I have never been so scared.

The location of exclamation marks in the text affects the transmitted meaning, drawing attention to those sentences that are separated by this punctuation mark. In the above passage, the impression of a terrible storm can be strengthened by putting an exclamation mark at the end of the last sentence:I have never been so scared !

Apostrophe

When is an apostrophe used?

An apostrophe is used in two cases:

1. It shows that a few letters are missing (as, for example, inThe cat ` s at the door , where cat ` s used insteadcat is )

2. It can also indicate the possessive case of a noun (to whom the object belongs), for example,Annie ` s cat .

`s for accessories

To show who the item belongs to, you need to add` s to the name of the owner. Here are some examples of using an apostrophe to indicate the possessive case:Fred ` s shirt (the shirt that belongs to Fred, or Fred's shirt);The teacher ` s car (a car that belongs to the teacher, or the teacher's car).` s always used with singular nouns. The singular number indicates that there is only one item, not many. For example,car is the only number, andcars - plural. Note that in the examples above, even for words ending ins , in the singular is added` s .

Quotes
All about direct speech

Direct speech - words spoken in conversation and enclosed in quotation marks. Words are written between quotation marks, and punctuation marks are preserved in them, although sometimes the punctuation has to be changed a little.

A verb that introduces direct speech (say , ask , whisper etc.), may be at the beginning, in the middle or at the end. See how punctuation marks are placed in the following cases:

If the verb is at the beginning of a sentence:

If the verb is at the end:

If the verb is in the middle:

Think of direct speech and the words that introduce it as one sentence. Whichever of the three you choose, remember that sentences begin with a capital letter and end with a dot (either? or!). If the closing quotes are at the end of the sentence (as in 1 or 3), the dot (either? or!) is inside the quotes.

"?" and "!" at the end of a sentence

If direct speech ends with a question or exclamation mark, do the following:

He asked, "Have you found the way out?"

He said, "They's found the way out!"

Have you found the way out? he asked.

"They's found the way out!" he said .

Hyphens

The hyphen resembles an en dash. A hyphen is used to connect two or more words so that they read as one with the same meaning. For example:on - the - spot fines , short - term deal .

Words made up of two or more words are called compound words. Over time, some of them begin to write without a hyphen. For example:offside , seaweed , flashback .

There are no clear rules regarding the merged spelling of words or spelling with a hyphen. Often you have to check the spelling of such words in a dictionary.

When to put a hyphen?

1. Put a hyphen if the value changes or is distorted without it:

BUT two-month-old kittens

Btwo month old kittens

2. Put a hyphen to connect those words that should be read as one word and that come before the noun they describe:a long - overdue award .

3. Use a hyphen to connect a verb that ends ining or ed , with another word that changes the meaning of the verb. For example:well - tuned mind - god - gling .

(The exceptions are those pairs in which the first word ends inly . In this case, the hyphen is not needed:nicely worded ) .

4. A hyphen is placed if the words it connects have the same last and first letter:grass - seed .

Other cases

The hyphen is used to meanto ("to", "to") in expressions like1964-1982.

Hyphens are also used to wrap part of a long word onto another line. Avoid this in writing as much as possible. If you do decide to split a word, do it in a way that does not obstruct reading.

Parentheses

Brackets are two curved lines that are placed around words to separate them from the rest of the sentence.

For example : My ant project is finished, but Jan`s Dad (an insect specialist, as I found out) said he would look at it before I hand it in.

Usually additional details or explanations are given in brackets.

In the case of brackets, punctuation depends on whether you want to include the words in brackets in a sentence or if you want to separate them into a separate sentence.

If they are part of a sentence, all punctuation marks in the sentence are enclosed in brackets. For example: Entries must reach us by 22 May (any received later will not be valid).

If words are separated into a separate sentence, then punctuation marks are placed inside brackets:Entries must reach us by 22 May . (Entries received later will not be valid).

How to arrange text on a page?

Field

Margins are white space to the left and right of the text.

The margins on the left are strictly in a straight line (you can cross out the margins with a pencil using a ruler) and are usually wider than the margins on the right. The fields on the right can also be done strictly in a straight line, although this may turn out to be too large spaces between words.

paragraphs

A paragraph is a small piece of long text. Each paragraph is indented to the left of the margins (this is called red line).

There are no mandatory paragraphing rules. Usually a new paragraph begins when you move on to a new subject or a new aspect of the subject under consideration.

Business correspondence

Personal correspondence

In letters to friends or relatives, you can use either of these two styles. You can omit your address and the address of the person you are writing to. finish letter phrase type With love from, See you soon or With best wishes:

Capital letters
When to do it?

Capitalize:

after a period, exclamation point, or question mark;

when writing a wordI ("I");

Capitalize:

at the beginning of a sentence;

in the names of months, days of the week and holidays: in January , on Monday , Easter ;

in names and titles : Jill Page, Mr Fisher, Doctor Fellows, Queen Anne. If the word doctor(or title, for example,queen , prince etc.) are used without tense, capitalize this word or title only if you mean a specific person;

in the names of cities and localities:Sydney , California , Germany . In this case, all parts of the name are also written with a capital letter:Great salt Lake . Words that are derived from place names: a California , in Germany ;

in the names of streets and buildings:Park Lane , Ferry street .

in trademarks and names of companies and organizations:a Ford , bird ` s eye ;

in the titles of books, movies, songs, etc. In these names, each word is capitalized:The War of the Planet .

When should not be done?

Don't capitalize:

In the notation of compass directions (head north !) , except when they are part of place names (the North Pole ) or denote revenge (the East );

In the names of the seasons:summer .

Why do we need punctuation in Russian?

Understanding why punctuation is needed contributes to competent writing and ease of expression. Punctuation is needed to facilitate the reading of the text, with its help, sentences and their parts are separated from each other, which allows you to highlight a specific thought.

Considering punctuation marks, one cannot ignore their function in the Russian language.

Having started a conversation about why punctuation is needed, it is necessary to clarify what punctuation marks exist, since there are many of them and each plays its role. Punctuation can be used in the text - both for the purpose of separating several different sentences, and within one sentence.

A dot - separates sentences and symbolizes a neutral intonation: "Tomorrow I will go to the theater." Used in abbreviations: “i.e. - that is".

Exclamation mark - serves to express emotions of admiration, surprise, fear, etc., separates sentences from each other: "Hurry up, you must be in time!". Also, an exclamation point is highlighted within the sentence of the appeal itself, the intonation is accentuated: “Guys! Please don't be late for class."

Question mark - expresses a question or doubt, one sentence separates from another: “Are you sure that you did everything right?”

Within a sentence, punctuation also plays a prominent role. But without understanding why punctuation is needed, we will not be able to clearly express our thoughts and write an essay, because without the correct selection of parts, the meaning will be lost.

The following punctuation marks are used within sentences:

Comma - divides the sentence into parts, serves to highlight individual thoughts or appeals, separates the constituent simple ones from each other in a complex sentence. “I don’t really care what you think about it” is a complex sentence. “Schi, mashed potatoes with chop, salad and tea with lemon were served for dinner” - homogeneous members in the sentence.

Dash - they denote pauses, replace missing words, also denote direct speech. "Healthy nutrition is the key to longevity" - here the dash replaces the word "it". “What time can you come tomorrow? the cashier asked. “About three,” Natalya answered her. - direct speech.

Colon - used to focus on what follows; delimits parts of one sentence, explaining each other, interconnected; direct speech separates from the words of the author, or the beginning of the enumeration is indicated in this way. “The buffet sold delicious pies with different fillings: with apples, with potatoes, with cabbage, with cheese, with boiled condensed milk and jam.” - enumeration. Direct speech: "Without looking into her eyes, he said:" Do not hope, I will never return to you "and quickly walked away."

Semicolon - used in sentences that have a complex structure, in which there is already little comma to separate parts. “It was a feeling of warmth and light that brought happiness and peace, made the world a better place, filling the soul with joy; the first time these feelings visited me here many years ago and since then I always strive back to experience them again and again.

Understanding why punctuation is needed, you will be able to competently and clearly express your thoughts when writing, emphasize what needs to be emphasized, and by doing this in accordance with the rules, you will show the readers of your writings that you are a literate person.

Knowledge of punctuation rules is carefully checked when passing the GIA exams (state final certification), because this knowledge cannot be dispensed with. And indeed, only the correct use of punctuation will allow you to understand you correctly in any correspondence.

Punctuation is a system of signs and symbols used in writing, developed within the framework of the language. Punctuation in Russian and in English may have common characters, but the rules for their setting will be very different.

Understanding why punctuation is needed helps you write competently and express your thoughts more easily. Punctuation is needed in order to facilitate the reading of the text, it separates sentences and their parts from each other, thereby allowing you to express a certain idea.

Functions of punctuation marks in Russian

Starting a discussion about why punctuation is needed, you should pay attention to what punctuation marks are, because there are many of them, and each performs its role. Punctuation can be used in text both within a single sentence and to separate several different sentences.

Why do you need punctuation in the text

A period separates one sentence from another and indicates neutral intonation. "I'm going to sleep alone tonight." Also used for abbreviations: etc. - and so on.
The exclamation mark separates sentences from each other, expresses the emotions of surprise, fear, admiration, and many others. For example: "Hurry, you must hurry!". An exclamation point can be used to highlight addresses within a sentence, thus emphasizing the intonation: "Guys! Please don't be late for the meeting."
A question mark separates one sentence from another, expresses doubt or a question: "Are you sure that you did everything right?".

Why do you need punctuation within a sentence?

Why is punctuation necessary? The essay will come out fuzzy, all thoughts will be lumped together, and their meaning can be confused without the correct selection of parts, that is, without knowledge of the rules of punctuation.

A comma separates parts of a sentence, helps to highlight individual thoughts or appeals, to separate simple sentences from each other as part of a complex one. “It doesn’t matter to me what you think about it” is a complex sentence, “For lunch they were offered borscht, mashed potatoes with a cutlet, salad and dried apricot compote” are homogeneous members of the sentence.
The colon focuses on something that follows it, delimits parts of the sentence that are interconnected, explaining each other, delimits the words of the author and direct speech, or marks the beginning of the enumeration (in this case, the colon is placed after the generalizing word). "On the counter lay all sorts of pies with various fillings: with cabbage, with potatoes, with cheese, with apples, with jam and boiled condensed milk" - enumeration. “After thinking and after a long pause, he replied:“ No, we can never be together, ”and quickly left the room” - direct speech.
A dash is used to indicate a pause, replaces missing words, indicates direct speech. "Proper nutrition is the key to health and longevity" - the dash can be read as the word "it". "What time can you come tomorrow?" the cashier asked. "At three o'clock," the customer replied. - direct speech.
The semicolon is used in sentences with complex composition, where a comma is no longer enough to separate parts. "It was a strong warm wind that carried away all the troubles and sorrows behind it, made the world better with every breath, filled the lungs with joy; I first felt it at sea, and since then I have tried to feel it again and again, year after year returning to the familiar harbor".

Knowing why punctuation is needed, you will write an essay-reasoning clearly and competently, you will be able to express your thought. With the help of punctuation, you pay attention to exactly those points that you need to sharpen.

Why is punctuation necessary? GIA (state final certification) believes that without punctuation there is nowhere, and carefully checks the presence of this knowledge in exams. And indeed, only by using punctuation correctly, you can make sure that you are understood correctly.

We have analyzed the most common grammatical errors. However, attention was paid not to all levels of linguistics. In this article, we will focus on the errors associated with the use of punctuation marks.

When a comma is needed

Remember - we use it to separate and highlight words in sentences.

Before the second and following homogeneous members of the sentence, when listing

Often on sites there are errors in listing the characteristics of goods or services. For example:

But in the offer “We will replace the faucet and connect the shower room” The comma is not needed because the conjunction "and" used once.

As a rule, cumbersome sentences with homogeneous members and errors in them can be easily avoided. To do this, use bulleted lists:

Just use them wisely.

To separate parts of a sentence

Almost every sentence can be divided into parts. You can understand whether a comma is needed by asking a question.

Before us is the introduction of a key query, beloved by copywriters."where could I buy…". If you decide to use this cliche, then do not make mistakes in it. This little sentence is missing a comma before the word"where". It consists of the main"ask a question") and subordinate ( where to buy a coat) parts connected by union"where". We check: “Ask what question? Where to buy a coat»means a comma is needed.

To separate the subordinate part from the main one, you need to put a comma and in the following examples (you can put questions to the subordinate parts “think about what?”, “what is clear?”):

On both sides of the introductory words ("understand", "hope", "maybe", "good", etc.)

However, if "hope" was part of the predicate, a comma would be superfluous. For example: “The client ordered a site audit and hopes to get out of the filter”. "hopes to get out"- a compound predicate and a comma between its parts is not needed.

Composite introductory structures "as a rule", "primarily", "as a consequence" and others are also separated from both sides by punctuation marks (usually commas).

Note: Generally agree these constructions can be removed from the text, in our opinion, its meaning from this, Luckily , will not change - very often introductory words only complicate and overload sentences, and they can be abandoned.

In participial and adverbial phrases

Participle turns:

The adverbial turnover denotes an additional action, answering the question "doing what?":

That's right: "So, when making a choice, treat the purchase reverently."

In this example, a comma is missing at the beginning of the adverbial phrase, before the word "based on". The team not only distributes responsibilities, but is also based on specialized training - this is an additional action, so a comma is necessary.

Participial turns:

Need a comma before the word "provided"(put the question: What services? - Provided by the company).

Need a comma at the end of the turnover, before the word "done" (What clothes? - Presented in the online store).

You need commas on both sides of the participial phrase "made in Russia"(What are the carpets? - Made in Russia).

Between parts of the compound union "both ... and ..."

Many authors of articles on websites use this construction to enter a key query into the text. "cheap" and "expensive". However, the use of the union in this case is inappropriate - it would be more productive, for example, to make a transfer indicating specific prices.

Note: Often in the texts on the sites the construction "like...and so..." superfluous, and it can be "painlessly" removed or replaced with a list:

When a comma is not needed

Between subject and predicate

Lovers can buy - what is there to share?

Before the constructions "etc.", "etc.", "etc."

Between subordinate clauses, if they belong to the same main clause and are connected by the union "and"

Dash or hyphen?

These punctuation marks are often confused despite the clear difference in meaning.

A dash is placed:

Between subject and predicate

For example: "The purpose of the audit is to identify optimization errors". In this offer "goal"- subject, and "revealing"- predicate. In other words, the dash replaces the omitted (but implied) word "is".

Watch for the correct use of one or another sign. The most common mistakes in using a hyphen (instead of a dash) are just between the subject and the predicate:

In the descriptions on the site, a hyphen instead of a dash is rather a technical error, which is easy to fix. Just check what is written, because careful attention to the content is an indicator of care for the visitors of your site.

Between homogeneous members and a generalizing word

The texts on the websites of many online stores have errors in the descriptions of services, features and characteristics of goods.

Correctly:

“In the content, in the distribution of target queries, in the usability of the site - optimization is needed everywhere.”

To highlight isolated members of a sentence

For example: "He fulfilled his task - to overcome the obstacle."

The hyphen is placed:

Between parts of compound words

For example: "anchor list", "online store", "online consultant", "donor page".

In indefinite noun pronouns

For example: "someone", "something", "something", "someone", "something".

Between adverbs that make up one whole

For example: “a long time ago”, “willy-nilly”, “white-white”.

Dot

This punctuation marks the end of the story. The dot is also obligatory in abbreviations (“other”, “etc”, “because”).

But it is not put at the end of headings and subheadings:

When shortening words, one must be guided by generally accepted rules. You can’t abbreviate by vowels, and when two consonants meet, a dot is placed after the first. For example, "Rus. lang.", but not "Russian. lang."; "gram. mistakes", but not "gram. mistakes". Key words cannot be abbreviated. Remember also that in abbreviations of words "million" ("million"),"billion" ("billion") and "trillion" ("trillion") point is not set.

Finally

When using punctuation marks, you need to not only follow the rules, but also remember to be careful so that it doesn’t turn out like this:

Let there never be punctuation errors in your texts, and in the phrase “I’m tired of doing nothing to improve,” the comma is in the right place!