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Difficult cases of punctuation. Comma before the conjunction "I"

Conjunction "and" can connect Firstly , homogeneous members of the sentence, Secondly , simple sentences as part of a complex one.

To correctly place a comma before the conjunction “and”, it is necessary to distinguish the structure of a complex sentence from a simple sentence with homogeneous predicates or subjects. Therefore, first we recall the definitions of simple and compound sentences.

For example: It seemed like It’s as if they’re tearing up the whole forest at once and the earth is groaning in pain. (conjunction "and" single)

He recalled how the Nazis suddenly attacked them , and how they ended up surrounded , and how the detachment still managed to get through to its own. (conjunction "and" repeats)

Unfortunately, the division of rules into punctuation for homogeneous members of a sentence, signs in a complex sentence and working with a complex sentence including homogeneous subordinate clauses leads to the inability of many completing a Russian language course to navigate how and when this or that rule is applied. In addition, theoretical knowledge often does not allow one to correctly understand which of the rules needs to be applied, therefore, even if they know the rules, not all schoolchildren are able to use them appropriately and adequately.

Therefore, we offer you another way to master this punctogram, which was designated by Nikolenkova N.V.: go from the “external” signs of the organization of the sentence, that is, from the number of used conjunctions "and". We believe this will make the job of correctly placing punctuation marks a little easier.

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Coordinating conjunction and can connect:

• homogeneous members of the sentence;
• simple sentences as part of a complex sentence;
• homogeneous subordinate clauses in a complex sentence with several subordinate clauses.

Punctuation marks for homogeneous parts of a sentence

If homogeneous members of a sentence are connected by a single conjunction and a comma is not placed between them.
For example: I have two brothers and three sisters.

If homogeneous members of a sentence are connected by a repeating conjunction and, a comma is placed between them. In this case, a comma is placed before the second of the repeated conjunctions.
For example: In the store we bought bread and sausage, butter, and potatoes.

If before homogeneous members sentences connected by a repeating conjunction and, if there is a member of the sentence without a conjunction, then a comma is placed before the first repeating conjunction.
For example: In the store we bought bread, sausage, butter, and potatoes.

Attention! A comma is not used in expressions such as dad and mom, grandparents and the like, since both words can be replaced with one, for example, parents.

Punctuation marks in a complex sentence

If the conjunction AND connects simple sentences as part of a complex sentence, then a comma is always placed before it.
For example: Spring has begun, and all the roads have washed away.

A comma is not used if both parts of a complex sentence have a common minor member.
For example: In the morning, birds wake up in the forest and wild animals go out to hunt (both birds wake up and animals go out to hunt in the morning).

Punctuation marks for homogeneous subordinate clauses

In a complex sentence with several subordinate clauses, the subordinate clauses can be connected to each other by homogeneous subordination (that is, they join the main clause with the same conjunctions and answer the same questions). Such subordinate clauses can be connected to each other by a conjunction and, in this case, the second subordinating conjunction falls. There is no comma before the conjunction.
For example: [The neighbor told me] (that the children had already returned from school) and (the father returned from a business trip).

The problem of literacy today worries many. There are fewer people who can write without errors than we would like. Punctuation causes particular difficulties for people, as it is very easy to make a mistake.

People often ask the question of when a comma is placed before “and”, since this rule can be difficult to understand. In practice, everything is a little simpler than it might seem at first glance. There are some basic rules for putting a comma before "and" and, of course, there are exceptions to them.

Rules for placing a comma before "and"

If "and" joins two simple clauses, a comma is usually necessary. You can check this rule very simply: if you can divide a sentence into two simple ones and neither of them loses its meaning, a comma is needed.

For example, the sentence: “It was sunny and there was a light breeze” can easily be divided into the sentences: “It was sunny” and “There was a light breeze.” Please note: the meaning of the sentences has not been lost.

However, if two simple sentences have a word in common, there is no need to use a comma. The verification of this rule is similar to the previous one: when a sentence is divided into parts, the meaning of at least one of them will be lost. For example, the sentence: “Yesterday it was sunny and there was a light breeze.” If we divide it into parts: “Yesterday it was sunny” and “There was a light breeze”, the meaning of the first sentence will be completely preserved. But at the same time, part of the meaning of the second sentence will be lost, since it is no longer clear when this happened. To ensure that the meaning is not lost, the sentences would need to be divided into “Yesterday it was sunny” and “Yesterday there was a light breeze.” In such examples, when parts of a complex sentence have a common word, a comma is not placed before “and”.

A comma is also needed in cases where the conjunction “and” is repeated several times in a sentence. Example: “It was sunny and there was a light breeze.”

Also, a comma is not placed before “and” in exclamatory, imperative and interrogative sentences. In our case, an example would be: “Was it really sunny and a light breeze blowing?”

A comma is not placed before “and” in sentences that contain an explanatory part of a complex sentence or a common introductory part for two sentences. For example: “Spring has come, so it was sunny and there was a light breeze.”

Another exception is nominative sentences, that is, those in which the existence of a certain phenomenon or object is expressed. For example: “Sunny and light breeze.”

Using these rules, you can easily figure out whether a comma is necessary in your sentence. It is important to understand and clearly identify for yourself the rules when a comma is placed before “and”, and based on this knowledge you will be able to identify other cases in which it is not necessary to put it.

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We all remember well from school that in sentences before conjunctions A And But A comma is always used, and it does not matter whether the sentence is complex or simple with homogeneous members. With the union And everything is much more complicated. Let's try to figure it out.

In the very general view the rule looks like this: simple in sentences with homogeneous members, a comma before And not placed, if this union single: I remember the dacha And swing… If union and repeats itself, comma is put between homogeneous members before the union: I remember the dacha And swing, And bonfire over the river... In complex(complex) sentence with a comma before the conjunction And, usually, is put: I remember the dacha And I still remember my childhood swing...

Thus, we summarize: in a complex sentence between its parts before the conjunction And a comma is placed; in a sentence with homogeneous members it is placed if the conjunction And repeats itself. To avoid mistakes, it is enough to correctly determine which sentence we have in front of us - a simple one with homogeneous members or a complex, complex one. To do this, you need to look at how many grammatical bases there are in the sentence (the grammatical base is the subject and the predicate). If one is a simple sentence, two or more are complex. In our examples in the sentence I remember the dacha and the swing... one subject - I, and one predicate - I remember, that is, one grammatical basis, which means the sentence is simple ( dacha And swing- homogeneous additions). In a sentence I remember the dacha, and my childhood swing remains in my memory... two grammar basics (I remember; the swing remains in my memory), which means the sentence is complex.

Let's go back to compound proposal. In what cases is there a comma before And in him not placed? There are several such cases, namely:

1) If parts compound sentence united somehow general element: common minor member, common introductory words, phrase, sentence or general subordinate clause:

This morning the wind died down And . (Complex sentence, This morning- common minor term for both parts; comma before And is not placed.)

When dawn broke, the wind died down And the long-awaited silence came. (Offer with different types communications; for parts 2 and 3, which are connected by a coordinating connection, subordinate clause When it dawned is common, meaning a comma before And is not placed.)

2) If each part of a complex sentence is an interrogative, imperative or exclamatory sentence:

What is this show about? And Who is it intended for?(Parts are interrogative sentences. Compare: What is this program about? Who is it intended for?)

How beautiful is this picture And it brings back so many memories!(Parts are declarative exclamatory sentences.)

Violinist, play And rejoice, people!(Parts are exclamatory sentences.)

3) If the parts of a complex sentence are nominal or impersonal sentences:

Summer evening And slight coolness.(Parts are denominative sentences.)

The house is flooded And It's warm on the veranda.(Parts are impersonal sentences.)

A complex sentence is a sentence consisting of two or more simple (or complex) clauses. There are allied (complex and subordinate) and non-union complex sentences. A comma between simple sentences in allied complex sentences is placed before the conjunction or the allied word.

Examples of placing a comma in conjunctions of complex sentences: The guys turned right, and the puppy ran after them. Katya wanted to buy apples, but the store only had oranges. He was reading a book he borrowed from the library. We didn't know when Sasha would return.

If a complex sentence has a common minor clause, a comma is not placed between its parts. Example: In the evening the wind died down and it became warmer.

Unconjunct sentences with semicolons

A comma in non-union complex sentences is placed between part sentences in cases where they indicate simultaneous or sequential events. Usually between parts non-union proposal you can put a union And.