What conjunctions are preceded by a comma - examples. Comma before the conjunction and: to put or not to put? If there is a conjunction, there is no comma

Dear employees of gramota.ru, this is the third time I’ve asked a question and I can’t find the answer on the page. I always thought the house number was a clarification, but my colleagues argue with me. Resolve the editorial dispute! Is it necessary comma AFTER but measure of the house if the offer continues. For example: The meeting at Lenin, 25, is postponed to Friday.

The question is controversial. Address details can be considered both as elements of enumeration (acting as homogeneous members of a sentence) and as clarifying members of a sentence. Both solutions are possible.


	Question No. 295382

Hello, please tell me if it is necessary in the following sentence comma after but before if. And why it is needed/not needed. A person can be a genius or have all the necessary skills, but if he doesn't believe in himself, he won't give it his all. Thank you.

Russian language help desk response

A comma is placed at the junction of conjunctions if the first conjunction is followed by a single conjunction in the subordinate clause. If the first conjunction is followed by a double conjunction, then a comma is not placed at the junction of the conjunctions. This happens when subordinating conjunction has the word in the main part of the sentence That.

Since in in this case words That no, comma between conjunctions But And If needed.


	Question No. 294355

What is the phrase “But despite”? But despite all the persuasion, Katya decided to leave the university. Is it necessary comma after BUT ?

Russian language help desk response

This is a union But and preposition despite. Right: But, despite all the persuasion, Katya decided to leave the university.


	Question No. 292853

Life, of course, heals, but like in a free hospital. Is it necessary in this proposal comma after but?

Russian language help desk response

The comma before as is not needed: Life, of course, heals, but like in a free hospital.


	Question No. 288878

Is it necessary comma after BUT VYE in the trail. sentence: “We have developed new biologically active peptides, primarily extracted from plants and adapted for the human body”?

Russian language help desk response

The placement of a sign depends on the meaning. If they have already been developed before biologically active peptides (there were old ones, but now new ones have been developed), a comma is not needed. If the novelty lies precisely in the fact that they were developedbiologically active peptides (“new, namely biologically active”), a comma is needed.


	Question No. 285420

Please tell me if the punctuation marks in the following sentence are correct. We inform you that it is technically possible to supply natural gas through the gas distribution network for gas supply to a residential building located at the address Saratov region, Slobodskoy district, Krapivnitsa village, st. Novaya, 7, is available from the gas distribution pipeline under construction low pressure in the village of Krapivnitsa, Slobodsky district. In such cases, should a colon be placed after the words “at the address” or is the entire expression “located... Novaya St., 7” perceived here as part of a participial phrase and therefore the colon is superfluous? And the second question. If the sentence looked like this: “...a residential building on Novaya St., 7, in the village of Krapivnitsa, Slobodsky district..”, would it be necessary to put a comma after the house number? Should we take this as a clarifying circumstance of the place or not?

Russian language help desk response

No colon required, punctuation is correct.

Comma after but the measure of the house is needed, this is a clarification.


	Question No. 274233

Is it necessary comma after but measure of a house in sentences like: “There is a museum on Gogol Street, 2(?)”?

Russian language help desk response

Better this way: There is a museum in house number two on Gogol Street.


	Question No. 272516

Good afternoon Is it necessary comma after but how? “Let the new year 2014 fill your life with many bright impressions.

Russian language help desk response

The comma is placed correctly.


	Question No. 265006

example: in a store located at: st. Mira, 35 you can purchase... question: is it necessary comma after but house measure 35?

Russian language help desk response

A comma is needed, but a colon is not required.


	Question No. 256911

***
Hello! This is not the first time I have been corrected that there is no comma after “But”. And I remember at school they taught me exactly this way: after “a”, “however”, “but” we put commas.
For example:
But increased tightness negatively affects the microclimate of the room, and therefore the well-being of the people in it.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
inewsneg
Russian language help desk response
The postulate “after a, but, however, we put commas” is incorrect: the placement of commas is determined not by these words themselves, but by the syntactic structure of the sentence. The conjunctions themselves, but and however (meaning “but”), which are at the beginning of a sentence, do not require a comma after them. In the sentence you provided comma after but need not. Wed: But, thinking again, he realized that he was wrong - comma after but is placed, but not because of this word, but because of the participial phrase that follows.
After the interjection, however, which stands at the beginning of the sentence and expresses indignation, surprise and other emotions, a comma is placed: However, what a bastard!
***
Does the postulate “and, but, however” mean a comma AFTER, and not BEFORE, these conjunctions?

Russian language help desk response

In the question asked above, this is exactly the case. But we must say that the postulate “always put a sign before such and such unions” actually does not exist. This is an incorrect approach to spelling rules.


	Question No. 256334

BUT WHEN COMING TO HIMSELF, HE SAID... Is it necessary comma after BUT?
Thank you very much for your answers.

Russian language help desk response

A comma is needed.


	Question No. 246971

Is it put comma after but measure of a house in sentences like
“There is an exhibition on Nevsky, 28”?

Russian language help desk response

A comma is added.


	Question No. 237879

Hello! Please explain why you need it comma after but the measure of a house in the following case: “...a building located on Migaya Lane, 9, in the city of Mogilev...” You talk about this in your answers to questions No. 233322 and 217752. What rule should you follow?

Russian language help desk response


	Question No. 237848

Hello! Please explain why you need it comma after but the measure of a house in the following case: "...a building located on Migaya Lane, 9, in the city of Mogilev..." You talk about this in your answers to questions No. 233322 and 217752. What rule should be followed?

If the introductory word can be omitted or rearranged to another place in the sentence without disturbing its structure (usually this happens with conjunctions “and” and “but”), then the conjunction is not included in the introductory construction - a comma needed.

For example: “Firstly, it became dark, and, secondly, everyone was tired.”

If the introductory word cannot be removed or rearranged, then a comma after the conjunction (usually with the conjunction “a”) not placed.

For example: “She simply forgot about this fact, or maybe she never remembered it,” “..., and therefore, …”, “..., and maybe …”, “..., and therefore, …”.

If the introductory word can be removed or rearranged, then a comma needed after the conjunction “a”, since it is not associated with the introductory word.

For example: “She not only didn’t love him, but maybe even despised him.”

If at the beginning of the sentence there is a coordinating conjunction (in the connecting meaning) (“and”, “yes” in the meaning of “and”, “too”, “also”, “and that”, “and that”, “yes and”, “ and also”, etc.), and then an introductory word, then a comma before it need not.

For example: “And really, you shouldn’t have done that”; “And perhaps it was necessary to do something differently”; “And finally, the action of the play is ordered and divided into acts”; “Besides, other circumstances have come to light”; “But of course, everything ended well.”

Happens rarely: if at the beginning of a sentence worth the connecting union, A the introductory construction stands out intonationally, then commas are NEEDED.

For example: “But, to my great chagrin, Shvabrin decisively announced...”; “And, as usual, they remembered only one good thing.”

Always written WITHOUT commas:

Firstly

at first sight

for sure

similarly

More or less

literally

in addition

in the (eventual) end

in the end

as a last resort

best case scenario

Anyway

at the same time

overall

mostly

especially

in some cases

through thick and thin

subsequently

otherwise

as a result

due to this

in this case

in the same time

in this regard

mainly

often

exclusively

at most

meanwhile

just in case

in case of emergency

if possible

as far as possible

still

practically

approximately

with all that

with (all) desire

on occasion

equally

the biggest

at the very least

actually

in addition

to top it off

by the proposal

by decree

by decision

traditionally

A comma is NOT placed at the beginning of a sentence:

“Before... I found myself...”

"Since…"

"Before as…"

"Although…"

"As…"

"In order to…"

"Instead of…"

“Actually...”

"While…"

“Especially since...”

"Nevertheless…"

“Despite the fact that...” (at the same time - separately); There is NO comma before “what”.

"If…"

"After…"

“And...”

« Finally" in the meaning of "finally" - is not separated by commas.

« And this despite the fact that..."- a comma is always placed in the middle of a sentence!

« Based on this, …"- a comma is placed at the beginning of the sentence.

BUT: “He did this based on...” - no comma is used.

« After all, if... then..." - a comma is not placed before "if", since the second part of the double conjunction - "then" - comes next. If there is no “then”, then a comma is placed before “if”!

« Less than two years..." - a comma is not placed before “what”, because this is not a comparison.

Comma before "How" placed only in case of comparison.

« Politicians like Ivanov, Petrov, Sidorov...” - a comma is added because there is a noun "policy".

BUT: "… policies such as Ivanov, Petrov, Sidorov…” - there is no comma before “how”.

Commas are not used:

“God forbid”, “God forbid”, “for God’s sake”- not separated by commas, + the word “god” is written with a small letter.

BUT: commas are placed in both directions:

"God bless" in the middle of the sentence it is highlighted with commas on both sides (the word “God” in this case is written with a capital letter) + at the beginning of the sentence - it is highlighted with a comma (on the right side).

"By God"- in these cases, commas are placed on both sides (the word “god” in this case is written with a small letter).

"My God"- separated by commas on both sides; in the middle of the sentence, “God” - with a small letter.

There are a number of words in the Russian language (for example, introductory words) that require commas to separate them; Obviously, it is precisely this fact that influences the consciousness of the writers in this case and makes one doubt whether the word “what” is separated by commas, whether a comma is placed before “what” or “after”. But these issues are solved much more simply and in a completely different way. The essence of the rule is not that it is necessary to somehow punctuate the word “what” - it simply requires signs between parts of a complex sentence.

The word “what” is separated by commas

On both sides

Can there be a comma after "what"? Yes, but this is not related to the conjunction itself or the conjunction word. It’s just that after it there is something that in itself requires commas: an introductory construction, a separate phrase, etc. The comma before “what,” which separates parts of a complex sentence, is not affected in any way.

He was surprised that, having noticed the charming Sonya, his acquaintances were trying to quickly sneak away. (after “what” is an adverbial phrase)
Ignat agreed that it looked like we wouldn’t have time to get to the city today. (after “what” is an introductory word)

Before the word

Why do commas even appear in the word “what”? “What” is a conjunction or pronoun, often acting as a connective word. It connects parts of a complex sentence. And in this case, except for rare exceptions, which are discussed below, a comma is required. The sign is always placed before the conjunction - this is the answer to the frequent question “Is a comma placed before the “what” or after?”

He didn't tell me what was in the envelope.
We thought he had already returned from a trip abroad.

No comma needed

Is there always a comma before “what” or not?

1. Usually a comma is used, but there is an exception. We are talking about complex sentences with homogeneous subordinate clauses connected by the conjunction “and”. These are sentences in which the main clause is joined by two (sometimes more) subordinate clauses that are similar in meaning. They answer the same question, although they may be joined by different unions. If there is an “and” between them, then a comma is not placed before the second conjunction.

He told me what happened in the office and what he thought about it. (told you about what?)
The child quickly understands what actions it is better not to do and what happens if the prohibition is violated.

2. Sometimes the combination with the conjunction “what” is not a subordinate clause; then the comma is not needed. This is not difficult to check: without the part of the phrase with the conjunction “that,” the sentence loses its meaning.

They will always find something to ban.
He has something to say.

3. Of course, there is no need to break stable expressions like “just now” with a comma.

The film has just started.
We will never back down!

4. Compound conjunctions can be formalized using commas in different ways; it depends on the author's intention: whether the comma is placed before the entire construction or in the middle.

He was late because he overslept again.
He was late because he overslept again. (but if before the conjunction there are words like “exactly”, “only”, etc., a comma must certainly be before “that”: He was late precisely because he overslept)

To put or not to put a comma before a conjunction? It seems like a simple question. Since school days, we have learned that a comma is used if this conjunction is part of a comparative phrase. Is this statement really true? Or does this rule have exceptions? If they exist, what are they? In order not to get into an awkward situation because of commas, let's figure out when they really need to be placed before this conjunction, and at what moments it is not necessary to do this at all.

In contact with

In what situations is a comma used?

At first let's look into more simple examples when you need to put a punctuation mark before a conjunction. It is not difficult to remember them, they are quite simple, and there are few such cases.

If a conjunction joins separate fragments together complex sentence, then a comma is used. It’s easy to learn and remember, because in such cases you simply cannot do without a punctuation mark. For example: We recalled with pleasure how our class visited the zoo several years ago.
If the conjunction is an integral part of the introductory words in a sentence, then we must also put a comma. There are few such phrases in the Russian language, but they are often used in colloquial speech. For example: I was late for school today, as always.
If a conjunction is used in a comparative phrase, it is separated by a comma on both sides. It is not difficult to recognize such phrases. They have the meaning “like” and it is impossible to choose any other meanings without changing the meaning of the sentence. For example: His eyes are as blue as the sky on a clear day.

Another interesting point should be noted here, if such the phrase is in the middle of the sentence, then it should not be separated by commas. In this sentence, the entire construction that fits the meaning is isolated. For example: In the room, Vadim, angry as hell, paced the room. In this case, the definition of evil is added to the comparative phrase.

This emphasis is made because this part of the sentence has indivisible semantic connection. If we do not put the punctuation mark this way, then we will understand this part of the text differently. The presence of the word and in this situation does not change this rule. This part of the sentence remains a comparative phrase and acts as a circumstance. Consequently, such a part, together with the word, is distinguished by a punctuation mark.

For example: At school, like all children, they treat me well.

4. If the above comparative phrase is in the middle of the sentence, then it is separated by commas on both sides: at the beginning and at the end of this construction. For example: In this case it wouldIt was hot as an oven that day.

Is a comma necessary?

Now let's look at situations where punctuation is not required. With them there is often confusion, although there is nothing complicated here. If you understand these points, you will not have any special difficulties. By the way, such cases when a comma is not needed are also rare in the Russian language, so you won’t need to remember a large amount of information.

If the conjunction is between the subject and the predicate, and a dash can be put in its place, then a comma is not needed here. The meaning of the phrase should not change. For example: He's like a hawk.
If this union is part of a phraseological unit. Let us recall that this concept in the Russian language includes indivisible linguistic stable phrases. For example: The brothers were as different as heaven and earth.
If the conjunction in the continuation denotes a circumstance of the manner of action, then a comma is not placed before it. For example: The flag fluttered like a bird. In these situations, a phrase with a conjunction can be replaced with an adverb ( bird style) or use a noun in the instrumental case ( bird). Often this is the moment that people have the most doubts about. Sometimes it can be very difficult to distinguish a comparison from a circumstance of a course of action.
When a phrase with a conjunction is an indivisible part of the predicate. Here, a sentence without it will not have the desired meaning. In such cases, a comma is not used. For example: The girl turned red as a tomato.
If the conjunction is preceded by the words: completely, completely, almost, exactly, like, simply, exactly, and also the particle not, then a comma is not placed in front of it. This is a simple rule, but it is often forgotten. For example: They did not look at each other as friends.

Compound conjunctions and the word like

Sometimes the word as is part of a compound union or turnover, for example: as and so on. Of course, they don’t put a comma here, because in such cases this word is not a conjunction. For example: Since he appeared, silence has disappeared. The above rules and examples for them, when a comma is placed or not placed in sentences, will help you not make mistakes when writing texts. A person's literacy is always in his own hands, so a lot depends on care and knowledge.

It is known that the sign that performs the function of a comma was invented back in the third century BC by the philosopher Ancient Greece Aristophanes of Byzantium. Already in those distant times, humanity felt the need to clarify written language. Aristophanes of Byzantium invented a system of signs that was not very similar to current punctuation marks. The system had special points that were placed, depending on the pronunciation of the phrase when reading, at the top, middle or bottom of the line. The dot in the middle of the line served as a comma and was called “comma”.

The sign we now use to denote a comma is derived from the fraction sign; it is also called the “straight slash”. This sign was used from the 13th to 17th centuries AD to indicate a pause. But the modern comma is a mini-copy of the forward slash.

How can you tell if a comma is used in a given sentence? In Russian, as in many other languages, the comma is a punctuation mark. In writing it is used for highlighting and isolation:

circumstances;
participial and participial phrases;
definitions;
appeals;
interjections;
clarifications, introductory words.

In addition, commas are also used for separation:

between direct and indirect speech;
between parts of a complex, complex and complex sentence;
homogeneous members of the sentence.

The comma is a very interesting punctuation mark. This is proven by numerous funny and not so funny situations that actually happened. To prevent such situations from happening to you, take the trouble to learn some rules for placing commas in sentences.

Commas are placed either in pairs or alone. Single commas divide a whole sentence into parts, separating these parts by marking their boundaries. For example, in a complex sentence you need to separate two simple parts, or in simple sentence– homogeneous members of the sentence used in listing. Paired or double commas highlight an independent part of it, marking boundaries on both sides. Usually, introductory words, adverbial and participial phrases, and appeals are highlighted on both sides if they are in the middle of the sentence and if all the necessary conditions for this are met. Understanding where commas are placed is quite difficult. But you can simplify this by remembering a few simple rules.

First rule

The main thing is to understand the meaning of the sentence. After all, punctuation marks are placed in sentences precisely to convey the correct meaning. When a comma is placed in the wrong place in a sentence, the meaning is distorted. For example: “In the evening I entertained my brother, who was sick, by reading aloud”; “Masha, with whom I quarreled yesterday, ran towards me with a cheerful face.”

Second rule

It is important to remember which conjunctions are preceded by a comma. Such conjunctions include: since, because, where, what, when, which and many others. For example: “I’ll stop by when I’m free”; "He said he'd be late."

Third rule

To highlight an independent part of a sentence, you need to read the sentence without this part. If the meaning of the sentence is clear, then the removed part is independent. Participial phrases must be separated by commas, introductory sentences and words. For example: “I recently learned that my neighbor, returning from London, fell ill.” Remove the adverbial phrase “returning from London” from the sentence; its meaning will remain virtually unchanged. That is, the meaning of the sentence is preserved - “I recently found out that my neighbor got sick.”

But this does not always happen with participle phrases; there are sentences in which the participle adjoins the predicate, and in meaning it becomes very similar to an adverb. In such cases, single gerunds are separated by commas. For example, Griboyedov’s phrase: “Why, sir, are you crying? Live your life laughing." If you remove a gerund from a sentence, it will become incomprehensible, so there is no need to put a comma.

Regarding introductory words, they are always separated by commas on both sides. There are a lot of them: of course, fortunately, firstly, by the way, imagine, by the way, etc. It’s not difficult to find them in a sentence, you just have to try to remove them from the sentence.

Fourth rule

Addresses are always separated by commas in sentences. When it is in the middle or at the end of a sentence, it is not very easy to identify. For example: “Alas, Margarita, but you are wrong. Because I was there too. And I saw everything. And you, Lida, I saw among those people who sang in the choir.”

Fifth rule

In what cases is a comma used in comparative phrases? Almost all of them! It is very easy to find a comparative phrase in a sentence using conjunctions: exactly, as, as if, that, as, rather than, than, and so on. But there are exceptions. Comparative phrases are not highlighted if they are stable figures of speech or phraseological units. For example: it pours like a bucket, it cuts like clockwork.

Sixth rule

Between homogeneous members a comma is used, but not always. A comma is necessary for the conjunctions a, yes, but, but, however.

Also, a comma is needed between homogeneous members that are connected by repeating conjunctions (and ... and, or ... or, not that ... not that, either ... or).

There is no need to place a comma between homogeneous members that are connected by single conjunctions yes, and, either, or.

Also, repeating conjunctions before homogeneous members of a sentence will help determine where commas are placed. Complexity is created only by homogeneous and heterogeneous definitions. A comma must be placed between homogeneous definitions. For example: “an interesting, exciting film.” For heterogeneous definitions, a comma is not needed. For example: "exciting Hollywood action movie." The word "exciting" is an expression of impression, and "Hollywood" in turn means the film belongs to the place where it was made.

Seventh rule

Coordinating conjunctions in complex sentences must be preceded by a comma. These are such conjunctions: and, yes, or, either, yes and. The main thing is to correctly determine where one sentence ends and another begins. To do this, you need to find the subjects and predicate in each sentence or divide difficult sentence within the meaning of.

Eighth rule

A comma is always placed before contrastive conjunctions: but, yes, and.

Ninth Rule

When is a comma used in sentences with a participial phrase? Understanding this rule is somewhat more difficult than with the adverbial phrase. It is important to remember that participles are separated by commas only when they come after the word they define. The rule being defined is the word from which the question is asked to the participial phrase. For example: “a friend (what?) who was delighted at my arrival.” It is worth understanding the difference: “a pear grown in the garden” – “a pear grown in the garden.”

Tenth Rule

Affirmative, interrogative, negative words and interjections are separated by commas. An interjection is always followed by a comma. For example: “Life, alas, is not an eternal gift.” But we should distinguish the interjection from the particles oh, ah, well, which are used to enhance the shade, and the particle o, which is used when addressing. For example: “Oh, what are you!”; "Oh field, field!"

Commas must be treated very carefully, because a misspelled word can be mistaken for a typo, and missing a comma, as linguists say, can greatly distort the meaning of the written text.