When a semicolon is put in a sentence: singularities and punctuation rules

When is the semicolon in the sentence? The answer to this question is not as simple as it might seem. Russian grammar is considered one of the most complicated because of such rules. In this article we will try to answer the question posed and consider all possible variants of the statement in the sentence of this punctuation mark.

Semicolon: rules

This punctuation mark is placed between two or more independent sentences, which are combined into one without the auxiliary unions. In this case, the probability of stating a point with a comma increases, if these sentences are common and inside have commas.

Examples:

"In the meantime, tea was drunk, the long-harnessed horses were chilled in the frost, the month faded flickering in the west and was preparing to plunge into gloomy clouds, sitting on distant mountains, like pieces of a torn curtain."

"Around all stiffened in an autumn dream, through the gray mist can hardly be seen under the mountains wide fields, they are cut by the Volga, spread over it and melted in the fog."

When is a semicolon in complex sentences?

Complicated (SSP) refers to proposals that are linked together by means of a coherent connection. The parts from which such proposals consist are considered equal, that is, independent of each other.

So, we found out which sentences are compound. But when should I put a semicolon? So, this punctuation mark is appropriate in the following cases.

First, if the independent proposals forming part of the BSC are joined by the unions "however", "but", "nevertheless," "nevertheless," etc.,

Examples:

"I only had blue paint, but in spite of this fact, I planned to represent the autumn hunt."

"It would seem that she had absolutely no reason to go to him, and he was not very happy about it, however, she came and lived with him for weeks, and sometimes much more."

Note! Before the "a" union, our punctuation mark is placed only if the sentences that it unites have within a few commas and are considerably distributed.

Example:

"It seemed to me that he began to cry, but I must tell you that Vitka was an obstinate boy, and sometimes he did not even get tears when he was younger."

Secondly, if it were possible to put an end to the proposals included in the composition of the BSC, if they were not connected by the unions "yes" (in the meaning "and") and "and".

Example:

"She read the book, thinking about what she was reading, stopping to listen to Nina Arkadyevna, who chatted tirelessly, and at the same time various pictures of the future life and economy without any connection seemed to her inner gaze."

Proposals with common homogeneous members

Now let's talk about when a semicolon is put in a sentence with common homogeneous terms. Typically, such punctuation marks are placed when homogeneous members within themselves have one or more commas.

Example:

"In the darkness vaguely the same obscure outlines of objects appeared: in the distance the blue-black wall, the same spots on it; Beside me, a horse's rump, which, waving its tail, opened its mouth wide; The back of a horse in white Circassian coat, on which was seen the whitish head of a pistol in a homemade holster and the rifle was swinging in a dark case; A light cigarette, illuminating a reddish mustache, a beaver collar and a hand in a leather glove. " (Leo Tolstoy).

"People were here from stanitsas and from hamlets and cities, detained on suspicion that they were Soviet workers, partisans, communists, Komsomol members; People, in a word or deed insulted German uniforms; People who have hidden their Jewish roots; People arrested for not having documents, and simply because they are people. " (A. A. Fadeev).

Complicated sentences

Even when the semicolon is put in the sentence? This punctuation mark is placed between the adverbial (common), if the union does not bind them, and they are subordinated to one main thing. This rule becomes mandatory if there are other subordinate clauses within the clauses.

Example:

"The difference is that, instead of the violent will that united them in school, they themselves threw mothers and fathers and fled their fathers' homes; That there were also those here who already had a rope around their necks and who, instead of gloomy death, saw a real life, and life in all their rampant revelry; That there were those who, according to a long and noble custom, could not keep a penny in their pockets. " (N. V. Gogol).

Specifying the boundaries between sentences

We continue to describe the cases when the semicolon is put in the sentence. If the semantic component requires that the reader see exactly the boundary between the group of sentences and individual sentences, a semicolon is placed between:

• Several independent proposals;
• A few subordinate clauses related to a single principal.

Example:

"There were a lot of crows in that garden, their nests were covered with tree tops, they circled around them and loudly croaked; Sometimes, especially in the evening, they flew in hundreds, raising others and making noise; Sometimes one of them will fly hastily from one tree to another, and everything will cease again. " (AI Herzen).

Enumerations

We examined what sentences are put in the semicolon, now let's talk about the enumerations.

Our punctuation mark is placed after the enumeration headings. But only if these rubrics can not act as independent proposals, but at the same time are quite common, and some other punctuation marks are already placed inside them.

Example:

"Due to such use of mines, the following requirements were imposed on them:

• So that a mine accidentally torn off and floating freely on the surface of the water could not harm the ship passing by;
• So that, at the time of the installation of the obstacles, the mines do not float up, thus indicating to the enemy the places of the barrier;
• Increased safety when installing mines (Academician Krylov).

Thus, a semicolon can be placed both in complex sentences and when listing something.