Any of us at school had to write dictations in our native language. And, probably, the most offensive was the reduction in the final grade due to a missing or extra comma. Let's find out why this symbol and others like it are so important in the language, and what science specializes in this issue.

What does punctuation study?

At the end of the previous sentence there is a well-known to all of us which signals to each reader that this is a question, not a statement. It is on the study of such signal elements that such a science as punctuation concentrates.

Moreover, she specializes not only in the formation and regulation of norms and rules for setting punctuation marks, but also studies their history.

What is it for?

Having learned what punctuation studies, it is worth paying attention to its practical value. After all, for example, the practical meaning of spelling is clear to most of us - if people are not taught to write correctly, it will become unclear to others what they want to say: flight or litter, etc. At the same time, many "victims" of school punctuation repressions are still perplexed : what difference does it make where to put a comma, why is it needed at all, and why a whole science was formed to study it.

Let's figure it out. So, punctuation is important to facilitate the perception of the text. With its help, sentences or their parts are separated from each other. This allows the writer to focus on the thought he needs.

In order to more clearly understand the meaning of punctuation marks, it is worth recalling the "bearded" example from the cartoon "In the country of unlearned lessons" - "You cannot be pardoned".

The life of the protagonist, Vitya Perestukin, depended on where the comma would be placed. If he had put her in this way: "Execute, you can’t pardon" - Vitya would have been threatened with death. Fortunately, the boy correctly endured the sign: "It is impossible to execute, pardon", and thus escaped.

In addition to focusing on certain parts of a sentence, it is punctuation that often helps to understand its meaning.

For example, if you simply put a period at the end of the sentence "Our mother has come", this will be a statement of the fact that the mother has arrived.

If you replace it with a question mark, it will no longer be a statement of a fait accompli, but a question: "Did our mother come?"

Term etymology

Having considered what punctuation studies and why it is needed, we can pay attention to the origin of this concept.

The term under study was derived from the Latin word punctum, which translates as a dot. Based on this, we can assume that the first punctuation mark in history is precisely the period (in any case, this is the case in Russian punctuation).

It is believed that the ancient Greeks were the first to use it as a sign of the end of a sentence or even an entire paragraph.

Punctuation marks

Knowing what punctuation is studying, it is worth dwelling on this in more detail. In other words, let's pay attention to punctuation marks. They are also called punctuation and are elements of writing necessary to achieve such goals.

The main ones are:

• Separation / selection of words, phrases, semantic segments in a sentence or a whole text.
• They point to grammatical and sometimes logical connections between words.
• They indicate the emotional color of the sentence and its communicative type.
• Signal about the completeness / incompleteness of the statement / thought.

Unlike words, punctuation symbols are not members of a sentence, although they perform very important functions in it.

The need for such signs is emphasized by the fact that in most text editors, when checking spelling, punctuation errors are highlighted in a separate color - green, while spelling errors are red.

Types of punctuation marks that are in Russian

To remember exactly which separating characters are used in Russian, it is worth remembering any lesson about punctuation. It necessarily mentioned most of these elements. All of them are divided into two categories: paired and unpaired.

The first ones are much smaller: quotes "", brackets (), 2 commas and 2 dashes.

They serve to highlight a word, phrase or part of a sentence and are always used together, functioning as a whole.

At the same time, quotation marks are also used to highlight names in Cyrillic and as a designation of direct speech.

By the way, the most common mistake in punctuation of paired characters is to forget to put the second of them.

There are much more unpaired punctuation characters. They are divided into groups according to their direct functions. Moreover, some of them are able to perform not one, but two roles at once.

Analyzing the above, you can see that nothing has been said about the apostrophe. However, this symbol refers to spelling, not punctuation. Therefore, it cannot be discussed in this context.

History of Russian punctuation

In the Russian Empire, punctuation as such did not exist until the second half of the 15th century. And only in the 80s began to use the dot.

About 40 years later, commas began to be used in grammar.

The combination of these characters into one (semicolon) happened later. Moreover, checking the punctuation of ancient texts showed that initially it served as a question mark. So if, when reading a document dating from before the 18th century, there is a question mark, we can conclude that the paper is probably a fake.

However, since the 18th century a special symbol was used to designate a question. By the way, in the same period, the exclamation mark began to be used in the empire, which initially signaled surprise, and not an exclamation. That is why it was called "amazing".

The first paired character in the grammar of the Russian language was parentheses, first noted when checking punctuation in a document of 1619.

Dash, quotation marks and dots also appeared only in the 18th century. And one of the first and main popularizers was Nikolai Karamzin.

Unusual punctuation marks that are not used in modern Russian

In addition to the symbols well known to us, there are a number of signs that are not recognized by Russian and many other grammars. If you try to put them in a text editor, you will definitely receive a message about the need to correct punctuation in the sentence.

• Interrobang is a hybrid of question and exclamation marks.
• A rhetorical question mark that looks like a mirror image of the usual character of this kind. It was used in English for only a few decades at the end of the 17th century.
• ironic sign. Outwardly similar to the above, but a little smaller and put at the beginning of the sentence. Originated in 19th century France.
• Love symbol, which is advised to use in greeting cards. It looks like a question mark and its reflection, together forming a heart.
• The consonant symbol looks like two exclamation marks written from the same dot. Symbolizes the expression of good will.
• Confidence sign. It looks like an exclamation mark with a cross.
• Authoritative. It is similar to the previous one, but it is not crossed out by a straight line, but by a league. Used in orders or advice.
• Asterism. It looks like three stars placed in the form of an inverted pyramid. Previously, it served to separate semantic chapters, as well as parts of books, or denoted minor breaks in a long text.
• Exclamation and interrogative commas. Designed for intonational emphasis on words or phrases within a sentence.

Punctuation is both a system of punctuation marks in the Russian language and a set of rules for their arrangement. At the 10th grade Russian language lessons, this topic is given a lot of attention, which is not surprising given its importance. The fact is that it is thanks to punctuation in writing that it is possible to reflect all the intonational features of speech and facilitate its perception when reading.

What is punctuation and why is it needed

Thanks to punctuation, a person’s written speech is ordered and clear - without punctuation marks, it would become a single incomprehensible stream, and without the rules for their use, which prescribe where punctuation marks should be placed, even if they are present in what is written, it would be difficult to understand. That is why a system that clearly explains where which punctuation mark is required is absolutely necessary.

Like many -tion words that are terminological, the name of this system comes from the Latin language, where the word punctum meant a point.

Punctuation marks

The Russian language system uses ten basic punctuation marks, which are easy to name: these are a period and a colon, an exclamation point and a question mark, a comma and a dash, quotation marks and a semicolon, ellipsis and brackets.

They are necessary in order to put certain semantic boundaries in the text, which help the writer to more clearly and understandably convey his thought to the one who reads what is written. There are punctuation marks that divide the text into sentences, and there are those that are placed inside the sentence and highlight its semantic parts.

The most ancient punctuation mark is the period. Even the ancient Greeks and Romans used it when writing their speeches, as it greatly facilitated the perception of the text during recitation.

Punctuation rules of the Russian language

These rules are based on the basic principle of Russian punctuation - punctuation marks should help to transfer sounding speech into written form, and in such a way that it is perceived unambiguously by everyone who reads the text. There are three main formulas according to which these signs are placed - intonational, semantic and formal. It is impossible to build all the rules on any one, therefore, modern punctuation relies immediately on the meaning of the text, and on its structure, and on the rhythmic and intonational articulation of a unit of speech.

The punctuation system of the Russian language is quite flexible: it has both mandatory rules and those that allow variability in punctuation marks depending on the meaning of the text and its style.

What have we learned?

Punctuation marks in Russian are placed according to certain rules and are included in the general system, which is called punctuation. There are ten such signs in total, some of them are placed inside the sentence, and some serve to divide the text into semantic parts. Punctuation rules are necessary to ensure that texts are uniform and read the same way in terms of meaning and intonation.

Punctuation(Late Latin punctuatio, from Latin punctum - dot) is

Collection of rules for punctuation marks;

Arrangement of punctuation marks in the text;

Same as punctuation marks.

Punctuation marks indicate the boundaries of independent, complete sentences, serve to separate parts of a complex sentence, to highlight some members of the sentence. At the same time, punctuation marks perform the function of conveying certain semantic shades.

For example:

What's the news today?(= question, "what happened?"). - What's the news today?(= assertion, "something amazing happened")

The first wounded soldier came(= "one of the fighters"). - The first wounded came– fighter(Pan.) (= "the first to come, the wounded was a fighter").

Punctuation as a system of punctuation marks and rules for their use is a necessary component of the written form of speech. Punctuation is mandatory and public; the meaning and use of punctuation marks is determined by the norm, which is the same for the writer and the reader. Text written without punctuation marks (and no capital letters!), reads three to five times slower than well-formed text. With the help of punctuation, the division of the text, its purposefulness, structure and main features of intonation are conveyed.

For example:

Lightning flashed far over the sea and a dull rumble of thunder was heard.

- How stuffy before a thunderstorm!- von Koren said.- I bet that you have already been to Laevsky and wept on his chest.

- Why should I go to him?- replied the doctor, embarrassed. - Here's another!(Ch.)

Russian punctuation is based on two principles:

- syntactic;

- semantic.

Proper punctuation helps the writer to more accurately express his thoughts and feelings, and the reader to perceive them correctly.

The importance of punctuation rules and the ability to apply them correctly is an almost essential skill. As A.P. Chekhov, punctuation marks serve as "notes when reading."

The principles of Russian punctuation are the foundations of modern punctuation rules that determine the optimal use of punctuation marks. It must be remembered that the purpose of punctuation marks is to help reflect the sounding speech in writing in such a way that it can be understood, reproduced unambiguously, without options. The task is very difficult. Punctuation marks reflect the semantic and structural articulation of speech, as well as its rhythmic and intonational structure.

It is hardly possible to build all the rules on one principle - semantic, formal or intonational.

For example, the desire to reflect all the structural components of intonation would greatly complicate punctuation, since all pauses would have to be marked with signs.

For example:

My father \\ was a poor peasant;

The moon has risen over the forest;

Grandfather asked Vanya \\ to chop and bring firewood etc.

The absence of signs in such positions does not make it difficult to read texts, reproduce their intonation. It is not reflected by punctuation marks with full sequence and the formal structure of the sentence.

For example:

homogeneous coordinating series with a single and: Signs are connected with everything: with the color of the sky, with dew and fog, with the cry of birds and the brightness of starlight.(paust.)

Modern punctuation relies both on the meaning, and on the structure, and on the rhythmic-intonational articulation of the utterance in their interaction.

Punctuation marks are graphic (written) signs needed to divide the text into sentences, to convey in writing the structural features of sentences and their intonation. Punctuation marks are used according to the rules that are necessary for the writer and reader to equally understand the meaning and structure of the text.

Russian punctuation marks include:

1) a period, a question mark, an exclamation mark are the signs of the end of a sentence;

2) a comma, a dash, a colon, a semicolon - these are signs for separating parts of a sentence;

3) brackets, quotation marks ("double" signs), which highlight individual words or parts of a sentence, for this, commas and dashes are used as paired characters; if the highlighted construction is at the absolute beginning or at the end of the sentence, then one comma or dash is used: I missed the village like a puppy locked up (T.); Apart from the rivers there are many canals in the Meshchora region(Paust.); "Hey, and you. where, mother?"- “And there, - home, son" (TV);

4) ellipsis; being a “semantic” sign, it can be placed at the end of a sentence to indicate the special significance of what was said or in the middle to convey confused, difficult or agitated speech: What is dinner? Prose. Here is the moon, the stars...(Sharp); "Father, don't cry. I will also say... well, yes! You are right... But your truth is narrow to us..."- "Well, yes! You... you! How... you were formed... and I'm a fool! And you..."(M. G.)

Combinations of punctuation marks convey a special, complex meaning. Thus, the use of interrogative and exclamatory marks together forms a rhetorical question (i.e., an enhanced affirmation or denial) with an emotional connotation.

For example:

Who among us did not think about the war there ?! Of course everyone thought(Sim.);

Scoundrel and thief, in a word. And marry such a person? Live with him?!(Ch.)

The combination of different meanings can be achieved by combining a comma and a dash as a single punctuation mark (more often they can be placed side by side, each according to its own rule: for example, a dash in an associative complex sentence after a comma that does not convey separation).

For example:

The sky cleared up over the forest- the pale sun poured down on the gray belfries of Beloomut(Paust.) - grammatical homogeneity, the enumeration is passed by a comma, and with the help of a dash the meaning of the consequence-result is emphasized; compare: You, brother, - This battalion. Regiment. Division(Tv.) - a dash is used between the subject and the predicate (before the particle-bundle This), and commas highlight the appeal

Variants of the use of punctuation marks are provided for by punctuation rules. If different signs are allowed, then usually one of them is the main one, that is, it is given an advantage. So, plug-in constructions are distinguished, as a rule, by brackets.

For example:

In a few days we are four (not counting the all-seeing and ubiquitous boys) became so friendly that the four of us went almost everywhere(paust.)

It is allowed to highlight the plug-in structure with the help of two dashes.

For example:

And in the middle of May there was a thunderstorm and such a downpour that down the street- she was not even, but sloping - a whole river of yellow water rolled violently(S.-C.)

For brackets, this use is the main one, and for a dash, it is one of many and secondary.

Variants of the use of punctuation marks are provided for by the rules for the design of non-union complex sentences.

For example:

when explaining or motivating, a dash is used instead of the main colon sign: Separation is illusory- we will be together soon(Ahm.).

When separating definitions and applications, dashes can be used along with commas: Sea- gray-haired, wintery, inexpressibly gloomy - roared and rushed behind thin sides, like Niagara(Paust.); Colored autumn- evening of the year - smiles brightly at me(March.).

It is possible to highlight separate definitions and applications with two characters - a comma and a dash at the same time: A calm courageous whistle flew,- oceanic, in three tones(paust.)

Options for setting signs are also allowed by some other rules: in particular, a comma and a semicolon in a non-union complex sentence, a comma and an exclamation mark when addressing, an exclamation mark and an interrogative with an exclamation point in a rhetorical question, etc.

In some cases, variance is manifested in the possibility of using or not using punctuation marks.

For example, a turnover with prepositions except, along with et al. ("stand-alone object") may be omitted if used with an inclusion value; Introductory words are inconsistently highlighted: actually, in fact, primarily etc. (they can be distinguished together with the attached noun).

Optional (optional) punctuation marks are characters whose setting is not clearly defined by the rules of punctuation. Their use is associated with the transmission of a pause in the letter, which either reflects the omission of a word (a dash is put in the place of the omission).

For example:

No, comrade, do not forget the cruel war: war has a short way, love- distant(TV);

I wanted to eat belt - tighter in the hands of a rifle and to the front(M.), or emphasizes the lack of grammatical connection between adjacent word forms that do not make up a phrase (a dash is put in this place) this cry- storm thirst(M. G.);

Outside the city- field. In the fields- villages. Peasants in the villages(M.).

On the issue of the foundations of Russian punctuation, three main areas have emerged:

logical,

syntactic,

intonation.

The theorist of the logical, or semantic, direction was F.I. Buslaev, who formulated the purpose of punctuation as follows: “Since one person conveys his thoughts and feelings to another through language, punctuation marks have a dual purpose:

1) promote clarity in the presentation of thoughts, separating one sentence from another or one part of it from another,

1) express the sensations of the speaker's face and his attitude towards the listener.

In modern Russian studies, the semantic understanding of the foundations of Russian punctuation has found expression in the works of S.I. Abakumov and A.B. Shapiro. The first of them considered the main meaning of punctuation to be an indication of the division of speech into parts that are important for expressing thoughts when writing. A.B. Shapiro saw the main role of punctuation in denoting those semantic relationships and shades that, being important for understanding a written text, cannot be expressed by lexical and syntactic means.

The syntactic direction in the theory of punctuation, which has become widespread in the practice of its teaching, proceeds from the fact that punctuation marks are designed primarily to make the syntactic structure of speech visual, to highlight individual sentences and their parts. The most prominent representative of this trend, Ya.K. Grot believed that through the main punctuation marks, "an indication of a greater or lesser connection between sentences, and partly between members of sentences" is given, which serves "to facilitate the reader's understanding of written speech."

Representatives of the intonation theory of punctuation believe that punctuation marks serve to indicate the rhythm and melody of a phrase, otherwise phrasal intonation (L.V. Shcherba), that in the vast majority of cases they reflect not grammatical, but declamatory-psychological dissection of speech (A.M. Peshkovsky ) and are needed “to convey the melody of speech, its tempo and pauses” (L.A. Bulakhovsky).

Despite the differences in the views of representatives of different directions, they have in common the recognition of the communicative function of punctuation as an important means of formalizing written speech: punctuation marks indicate its semantic division. At the same time, to a large extent, Russian punctuation is built on a syntactic basis, as the wording of most punctuation rules shows. In some cases, Russian punctuation is also associated with intonation. All this gives the Russian punctuation system great flexibility: along with mandatory rules, it contains indications that are not strictly normative in nature and allow punctuation options associated not only with the semantic side of the written text, but also with its stylistic features (D.E. Rosenthal).

The basic unit of punctuation is punctogram (from Latin punctum - point and Greek gramma - written sign, record) - a punctuation mark that is regularly reproduced in written speech, corresponding to the rules of punctuation, for example, a dash between the subject and the predicate, a dot at the end of a sentence, a colon in a non-union complex sentence, a colon and a dash in a sentence with a generalizing word with homogeneous members, commas when separating secondary members (definitions, applications, circumstances, etc.), brackets with insert constructions, etc. The list of punctuation marks corresponds to the list of private punctuation rules. According to the degree of generalization of the reflected rule, punctograms are of different types, for example, a comma with homogeneous members with connecting unions or in general with homogeneous members. The concept of a punctogram also includes the absence of a sign in one place or another in a sentence, if this absence is significant, i.e. regulated by rules, for example, the absence of a comma between parts of a compound sentence with a common member, the absence of a comma between two subordinate clauses connected by a union and. The terms "punctogram" and "punctuation mark" are not identical: the first includes the name of the syntactic unit, which is drawn up by the sign, the second only indicates an element of the graphic system of the language.

The term "punctogram" originated in the 70s. 20th century by analogy with the term spelling. It exists as a “working” term among school methodologists, is used in methodological and didactic literature addressed to teachers, is used in combinations like: punctograms studied in the 8th grade; a list of punctograms studied in the 4th grade; punctograms associated with the allocation of structural parts of the sentence. However, in the school practice itself, the term was not fixed (the combination “punctuation rules” is used instead), it is not registered in linguistic dictionaries, incl. terminological.

In a literary text, punctuation marks primarily perform the general function of Russian punctuation, that is, they carry out the grammatical and semantic division of the text. One of the general tasks of punctuation is to participate in the transmission of sentence intonation in writing. For a literary text, this task is very important. Reading (“reproducing”) it requires a particularly expressive intonation. On this occasion, the writer K. G. Paustovsky spoke figuratively and very accurately: “Punctuation marks are like musical notes.” Therefore, the author of a literary text - a prose writer, a poet and, especially, a playwright - must take into account the need for a correct "reading" of signs.

Colons and dashes have a special semantic capacity and expressiveness, which authors sometimes use one instead of the other, wanting to enhance some shade of meaning.

For example:

Terkin knew that in this fight he was weaker: not those grubs(TV) - the colon, in accordance with the rule, conveys the meaning of motivation, reason;

Let the crowd trample on my crown: the singer's crown, the crown of thorns(L.) - the colon is used instead of the "correct" dash and emphasizes the explanatory meaning

A dash is often used instead of a comma to convey (and read) a pause; this feature of intonation attracts attention, enhances the meaning of the consequence, opposition.

For example:

Listen! After all, if the stars light up- means- does anyone need it?(M.);

You know what, violin? We are terribly similar: I am also yelling- But I can't prove anything!(M.)

Finally, the dash is used as a purely "author's" punctuation mark, which designates and causes a pause to be played (according to general rules, there should not be any sign in this place). This emphasizes the significance of what was said, especially the part of the statement after the dash.

For example:

law- no. There is- team. March to the left! And- go!(M. G.)

The ellipsis performs a variety of functions in a literary text; they are mainly related to figurativeness, expressiveness of speech. Most often, this punctuation mark makes speech excited or difficult. It is also used when the speaker stops, choosing a word (or words).

For example:

You have to agree that you behaved with this worker... rather stupidly.(M. G.)

The ellipsis can also indicate that the speech is reporting unexpected turns of events.

For example:

Argument louder, louder; suddenly Yevgeny grabs a long knife, and in an instant Lensky is defeated; frightening shadows Condensed; An unbearable cry was heard... the hut shook... And Tanya woke up in horror...(P.)

With the help of an ellipsis, an interrupted statement is drawn up, and a tongue-tied speech is also transmitted.

For example:

What right do you have? How dare you? Yes, here I am ... I serve in St. Petersburg. I, I, I...(G.)

For example:

I myself know everything! I- saw the sky...(M. G.) - here the dash conveys a pause, with the help of which the speaker emphasizes the significance of what was said, as well as his own "significance";

Machine-gun fire cut the area. Embankments- empty(M.)

Author's punctuation marks are not arbitrary and "empty", they convey some additional meaning. Most often, dashes and ellipsis are used as copyright marks. The dash usually emphasizes the opposition and emphasis on the second (after the sign) part.

For example:

born to crawl- can't fly!(M. G.);

BUT I want to sleep after a long chase, I'll fly to you- moth on fire(Born);

Are they poking around again? Well, on the defensive today- I...(TV);

Can you go against the law? And you- go!(M. G.)

An ellipsis can be used similarly, but most often it conveys confused, agitated or difficult, “clumsy” speech.

For example:

Lived better... yes! I... used to.. wake up in the morning and, lying in bed, drink coffee... coffee!- with cream... yes!(M. G.)

For example:

Meadow- swamp- field- field, over the willow river. Breathe sweetly! All flowers are beautiful!(Balm.)

What is Punctuation?

Punctuation- this (Late Latin punctuatio, from Latin punctum - point)

1. Collection of rules for punctuation marks. Russian punctuation.

2. Arrangement of punctuation marks in the text. Wrong punctuation. Features of punctuation in the works of M. Gorky.

3. Same as punctuation marks. Punctuation marks.

In the history of Russian punctuation, on the issue of its foundations and purpose, there are three main areas: logical, syntactic and intonation.

The theorist of the logical, or semantic, direction was F.I. Buslaev. Based on the position that “for greater clarity and definiteness in the presentation of thoughts in writing, it is customary to separate words and whole sentences with punctuation marks (i.e., stop signs)”, Buslaev formulated his understanding of the purpose of punctuation:

“Since through language one person conveys his thoughts and feelings to another, punctuation marks also have a dual purpose; 1) contribute to clarity in the presentation of thoughts, separating one sentence from another or one part of it from another, and 2) express the sensations of the speaker's face and his attitude towards the listener. The first requirement is satisfied by: comma (,), semicolon (;), colon (:) and period (.); to the second - signs: exclamatory (!) And interrogative (?), ellipsis (...) and dash (-) and abrupt In our era, the semantic understanding of the foundations of Russian punctuation (German punctuation is close to it, but French and English punctuation diverges from it) found its expression in the works of S. I. Abakumov and A. B. Shapiro. The first of them notes that “the main purpose of punctuation is to indicate the division of speech into parts that are important for expressing thoughts when writing. Although, as S. I. Abakumov points out further, “the use of most punctuation marks in Russian writing is regulated primarily grammatical (syntactic) rules”, he, however, believes that “the rules are still based on the meaning of the statement

A. B. Shapiro finds that “the main role of punctuation is the designation of those semantic relationships and shades that, being important for understanding a written text, cannot be expressed by lexical and syntactic means

The syntactic direction in the theory of punctuation, which has become widespread in the practice of its teaching, proceeds from the fact that punctuation marks are designed primarily to make the syntactic structure of speech visual, to highlight individual sentences and their parts. One of the most prominent representatives of this trend, J.K. Grot, believed that through the main punctuation marks (periods, semicolons, colons and commas), “an indication of a greater or lesser connection between sentences, and partly between members of sentences”, which serves “ to make it easier for the reader to understand written speech. Regarding the question and exclamation marks, Grot indicates that they serve “to show the tone of speech. Representatives of the intonation theory believe that punctuation marks serve “to indicate the rhythm and melody of a phrase, otherwise phrase intonation” (L.V. Shcherba), that they reflect “in the vast majority of cases, not the grammatical, but the declamatory-psychological division of speech” (A. M. Peshkovskii), that they are needed “to convey the melody of speech, its tempo and pauses” ( L. A. Bulakhovsky).

Despite the significant divergence of views of representatives of different directions, they have in common the recognition of the communicative function of punctuation, which is an important means of formalizing written speech. Punctuation marks indicate the semantic articulation of speech. Thus, the dot indicates the completeness of the sentence in the understanding of the writer;

setting commas between homogeneous members of the sentence shows the syntactic equality of the elements of the sentence expressing equal concepts, etc.

To a large extent, our punctuation system is built on a syntactic basis (cf. the formulations of most of the punctuation rules). This does not mean at all that punctuation copies the structure of the sentence, obeying it: the latter is itself determined by the meaning of the statement, therefore the starting point for the structure of the sentence and for the choice of punctuation marks is the semantic aspect of speech. Wed cases of punctuation that are not related to syntactic rules, for example, the setting of the so-called intonational dash:

1) Walk for a long time - could not; 2) Walking is not mine for a long time. This example shows that our punctuation is also related to intonation. However, even in this case there is no direct dependence of the first on the second: both serve as means of expressing grammatical-semantic relations. between the elements of the statement (intonation performs this function in oral speech, and punctuation - in written speech). Often there is a discrepancy between punctuation and intonation (rhythm melodics). So, in the sentence Pink women's dress flashed in dark greenery (Turgenev), the pause between the composition of the subject and the composition of the predicate (after the word dress) is not indicated in the letter by any punctuation mark. On the other hand, in the sentence Under his arm, the boy carried some kind of bundle and, turning towards the pier, began to descend along a narrow and steep path (Lermontov) after the union and a pause is not made, but in accordance with the existing rule, a comma is put here (in passing, you can note that a pause in this sentence is made before the union and, but it is not marked with a punctuation mark).

Pointing to the articulation of speech, punctuation marks at the same time serve as a means of identifying various semantic shades inherent in individual parts of a written text. Thus, the placement of a question mark at the end of a sentence indicates not only the articulation of speech, but also the interrogative nature of the sentence, its special type in terms of the purpose of the statement; the exclamation mark simultaneously indicates the completeness of the sentence and its emotional character, etc. In some cases, punctuation marks are the main or only means of identifying semantic relationships that cannot be expressed in a written text by grammatical and lexical means. Wed setting a comma, a dash and a colon in the same non-union complex sentence: The youth left, it became boring at the evening (the sequence of phenomena is indicated); The youth left - the evening became boring (the second part indicates the consequence, the result of the action indicated in the first part);

The youth left: the evening became boring (cause-and-effect relationships are revealed with an indication of the reason in the second part). Wed also the setting or absence of commas in sentences in which the introductory words and members of the sentence are lexically the same: The doctor may be in his office.- The doctor may be in his office. Appropriate punctuation makes it possible to understand the role of definitions preceding the noun being defined: puffs of thick, black smoke (definitions are homogeneous) - puffs of thick black smoke (definitions are heterogeneous).

The Russian punctuation system is highly flexible: along with mandatory rules, it contains indications that are not strictly normative in nature and allow various punctuation options associated not only with semantic shades, but also with the stylistic features of the written text.

1. What is punctuation?!

Punctuation (from lat. dot - punctum cf. lat. - punctuatio) is a system of punctuation marks that is available in the writing of any language, as well as a set of rules for their placement in writing.

Punctuation contributes to the visibility of the syntactic and intonational structure of speech, highlights both the members of sentences and individual sentences, thereby facilitating oral reading.

Punctuation system in Russian

The Russian modern punctuation system has been formed since the 18th century. on the basis of achievements in the theory of grammar, including the theory of syntax. The punctuation system has some flexibility: along with mandatory norms, it contains indications that are not strict and allow options that are related both to the meaning of the written text and to the peculiarities of its style.

Historically, in Russian punctuation, among the questions about its purpose and foundations, 3 main areas stood out: intonational, syntactic and logical.

Intonation direction in the theory of punctuation

Adherents of the intonation theory believe that punctuation marks are needed to indicate the melody and rhythm of the phrase (Shcherba L.V.), which mainly reflects not the grammatical division of speech, but only the declamatory-psychological one (Peshkovsky A.M.).

Although representatives of different directions have a strong divergence of positions, they all recognize that punctuation, which is an important means of designing a written language, has its communicative function. With the help of punctuation marks, the division of speech according to meaning is indicated. So, the dot indicates the completeness of the sentence, as the writer understands it; the arrangement of commas between homogeneous members in a sentence indicates the syntactic equality of these elements of the sentence, which express equal concepts, etc.

logical direction

Buslaev F.I. belongs to the theorists of the semantic, or logical direction, who said that “... punctuation marks have a double meaning: they contribute to clarity in the presentation of thoughts, separating one sentence from another or one part of it from another, and express the sensations of the speaker’s face and his relationship to the listener. The first requirement is satisfied by: comma (,), semicolon (;), colon (:) and period (.); the second - signs: exclamation (!) And interrogative (?), ellipsis (...) and dash (-) ".

In modern writing, the semantic understanding of the basis of Russian punctuation (German punctuation is close to it, but English and French diverge from it) was expressed in the works of Abakumov S.I. and Shapiro A.B. The first of them notes that the main purpose of punctuation is that it indicates the division of speech into separate parts that play a role in expressing thoughts during writing. Although he goes on to say that for the most part the use of punctuation marks in Russian writing is regulated by grammatical (syntactic) rules. But he believes that "the rules are still based on the meaning of the statement."

Shapiro A.B. argues that the main role of punctuation is the designation of a series of semantic shades and relationships that, due to their importance for understanding a written text, cannot be expressed by syntactic and lexical means.

2. 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. - i.e".

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.

3. Principles of Russian punctuation

The principles of Russian punctuation are the foundations of modern punctuation rules that govern the use of punctuation marks. It must be remembered that the purpose of punctuation marks is to help transfer sounding speech to a letter in such a way that it can be understood and reproduced unambiguously. Signs reflect the semantic and structural articulation of speech, as well as its rhythmic and intonational structure.

It is impossible to build all the rules on one principle - semantic, formal or intonational. For example, the desire to reflect all the structural components of intonation would greatly complicate punctuation, all pauses would have to be marked with signs: My father // was a poor peasant; Over the forest // the moon has risen; Grandfather asked Vanya // to chop and bring firewood, etc. The absence of signs in such positions does not make it difficult to read texts, reproduce their intonation. The formal structure of the sentence is not reflected by signs with full sequence; for example, homogeneous writing series with a single and: Signs are associated with everything: with the color of the sky, with dew and fog, with the cry of birds and the brightness of starlight (Paust.).

Modern punctuation relies on meaning, structure, and rhythmic-intonational articulation in their interaction.

4. Punctuation marks in Russian

punctuation punctuation Russian writing

Punctuation marks are graphic (written) signs needed in order to divide the text into sentences, to convey in writing the structural features of sentences and their intonation.

Russian punctuation marks include: 1) a period, a question mark, an exclamation point - these are the signs of the end of a sentence; 2) a comma, a dash, a colon, a semicolon - these are signs for separating parts of a sentence; 3) brackets, quotation marks ("double" signs) highlight individual words or parts of a sentence, for this, a comma and a dash are used as paired characters; if the highlighted construction is at the beginning or at the end of the sentence, one comma or dash is used: I was bored in the village like a locked up puppy (T.); In addition to rivers, there are many canals in the Meshchersky region (Paust.); - Hey, where are you, mother? - And there, - home, son (Tv.); 4) special sign ellipsis, "semantic"; it can be placed at the end of a sentence to indicate the special significance of what was said, or in the middle to convey confused, difficult or excited speech: - What is dinner? Prose. Here is the moon, the stars ... (Ostr.); - Father, don't cry. I will also say ... well, yes! You're right... But your truth is narrow to us... - Well, yes! You... you! How did ... you formed ... and I'm a fool! And you ... (M.G.).

Combinations of signs convey a special, complex meaning. Thus, the use of interrogative and exclamatory marks together forms a rhetorical question (i.e., a reinforced affirmation or denial) with an emotional overtone: Who among us has not thought about war?! Of course, everyone thought (Sim.); Scoundrel and thief, in a word. And marry such a person? Live with him?! I'm surprised! (Ch.). The connection of different meanings can be achieved by a combination of a comma and a dash as a single sign: A black rider passed, swinging in the saddle - horseshoes carved two blue sparks from a stone (M.G.); The sky cleared up over the forest, - the pale sun poured down on the gray bell towers of Beloomut (Paust.) - grammatical uniformity, enumeration is conveyed by a comma, and with the help of a dash, the significance of the consequence-result is emphasized. More often they can be placed side by side, each according to its own rule, for example, a dash in a non-union complex sentence after a comma that conveys isolation: cf. particle-bundle is)”, and the invocation is separated by commas.

Variants of the use of punctuation marks are provided for by punctuation rules. If different signs are allowed, then usually one of them is the main one, i.e. he is given an advantage. So, plug-in constructions are distinguished, as a rule, by brackets: A few days later, the four of us (not counting the all-seeing and ubiquitous boys) became so friends that the four of us went almost everywhere (Paust.). It is allowed to highlight the insert with the help of two dashes: And in the middle of May there was a thunderstorm and such a downpour that along the street - it was not even, but sloping - a whole river of yellow water rolled rapidly (S.-Ts.). For brackets, this use is the main one, and for a dash, it is one of many and secondary.

Variants of the use of signs are provided for by the rules for the design of complex non-union sentences, for example, when explaining or motivating, a dash is used instead of the main colon sign: Separation is illusory - we will be together soon (Ahm.). When separating definitions and applications, along with commas, dashes can be used: The sea - gray, winter, inexpressibly gloomy - roared and rushed behind thin sides, like Niagara (Paust.); Colored autumn - the evening of the year - smiles lightly at me (March.). It is possible to single out separate definitions and applications with two signs - a comma and a dash - at the same time: A calm, courageous whistle flew - ocean, in three tones (Paust.). Options for setting signs are also allowed by some other rules (in particular, a comma and a semicolon in a complex non-union sentence, a comma and an exclamation mark when addressing, an exclamation mark and an interrogative with an exclamation point in a rhetorical question, etc.).

Variation also appears in the possibility of using or not using signs in some other cases, for example, some introductory words are inconsistently highlighted: indeed, in fact, first of all, predominantly; they can be distinguished together with the attached noun.

Tutoring

Need help learning a topic?

Our experts will advise or provide tutoring services on topics of interest to you.
Submit an application indicating the topic right now to find out about the possibility of obtaining a consultation.