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Comma before union like. When is a comma placed before the conjunction "as"? Use as comma

Do I need a comma before the word "how" in all cases? Not at all. Whether a comma is used before "as" depends on the context in which the word is used.

The word "how" is separated by commas

Before the word

1. A comma before the word "how" is placed if the lexeme is used in the phrases "nothing else but" and "nothing but".

  • Nothing but snow fell on the street in May.
  • None other than my old friend came to me for dinner.
  • None other than the teacher nurtured in me a love of literature.

2. When it comes to comparison.

  • Her skin was as white as alabaster.
  • She was beautiful like a rose.
  • He was rich like Croesus.

3. If the sentence contains demonstrative words: so, such, such, that.

  • Write everything as shown in the example.
  • There has never been such a cold winter as last year.
  • People like you will always find a way out of a difficult situation.

4. Before the phrase "like" a comma is also always placed.

  • The bedroom, like the living room, was cozy.
  • In the village, as in the city, the Internet is always available.
  • At school, as at the university, you need to study diligently.

5. A comma is placed before "as" in the phrases "as one" and "as a rule." In this case, the entire phrase is separated by commas.

  • Schoolchildren, as one, were in the same uniform.
  • People are generally divided into two types: optimists and pessimists.
  • All, as one, came out in her defense.

6. If the sentence has the meaning of the reason, then from one part of it you can make a question, and from the other - the answer.

  • She, as a prima ballerina, was chosen for the main role.
  • Sasha, as the best student, represented the school at the Olympiad.
  • Masha, as the best employee, was awarded the prize.

No comma needed

1. A comma is not put before the word "as" if the lexeme is used in the meaning of "as".

  • His speech at the meeting was taken as a call to fight.
  • As a surgeon, she was superbly versed in anatomy.
  • He, as a teacher, was responsible for these children.

2. At the beginning of sentences, compound conjunctions with the word “how” are not separated by commas.

  • Since you joined us, the firm has flourished.
  • Until he stopped smoking, his health was not very strong.
  • Since Lisa came to visit her grandmother, the house has come to life.

3. In phraseological units with the word “how”, a comma is also not put.

One of the most common in high school is the comma before "what", "how" and in other words in the structures that are connected with them. This happens, some authors of school manuals call all constructions with these words a comparative turnover.

In fact "How" can act as a union or a particle. And such a construction is not always a comparative turnover. In some cases, it is a circumstance.

The structure acts as:

  • Predicate: The whole world is like an exciting adventure.
  • Definitions or Applications: Crocodile, as a rare animal, is listed in the Red Book.
  • Comparative turnover or circumstances: Life seethed like a waterfall of passions.
  • Introductory design: I decided to change into a shirt, or a shirt, as my mother would say..
  • Accessory part: Living in the countryside is as difficult as describing the smell of freshly cut grass in words..

Difference and other combinations

comma before "How" placed in the following cases:

1) If the combination denotes exclusively assimilation, i.e., denotes "like" and no longer has any other meanings. This construction is called a comparative turnover and acts as a circumstance in the sentence. For example: Vasily, like a hero, defended his friend. But it is necessary to pay attention to such a moment that the comparative turnover is not separated by commas if it is in the middle of a sentence. In this case, the part of the sentence to which this construction refers is underlined. For example: At the ball, Anna, in love like a passionate girl, looked into the eyes of her chosen one. In this sentence, comparative turnover is not separated from "in love" comma only because these words have a semantic connection. If there is a comma before the word "How", then it will come out "looked like a passionate lioness", but the sentence has a completely different meaning.

2) If the combination is used together with the union "and". This construction is also called a comparative turnover and acts as a circumstance in the sentence: Peter treated me well, as well as everyone in the class.

Applications

In order to prevent another mistake, it is necessary to decide which member of the sentence is the combination of interest to us, what words it is associated with:

1) In the case when used before a combination of words "so", "that", "such", "so" and many others. Such constructions are applications, and in a sentence they act as a definition. For example: Movies such as horror or thrillers, he usually did not watch.

2) The combination has the meaning of causality. Usually it is an application, and in a sentence it acts as a definition. For example: The doctor, as a good specialist, paid much attention to sick patients. This sentence shows the reason in combination "good specialist". The doctor paid a lot of attention to sick patients because he was a good specialist. But do not confuse the application with a comparative turnover. Comparative turnover is the likening of one object to another. And the application is when the object is called in a completely different way .

3) The union is part of the expression "nothing else"; "no one else". For example: This event is nothing more than a pre-planned action. The construction given in this sentence is a nominal compound predicate. And we see that this member of the sentence is separated by a comma.

Introductory constructions

In some sentences, combinations are not members of the sentence, but act. They must be separated by commas on both sides.

1) The union is combined with the following words: "now", "now", "before", "always", "usually", "exception", "rule", "on purpose" and others. These combinations act as introductory words that are not any members of the sentence. For example: They, as if on purpose, did not rush home at all.

2) The union is part of the introductory sentence. For example: As Katerina correctly noted, the road was especially difficult. This sentence is simple, despite the presence of two grammatical bases. It's just complicated by the introductory construction. In this case, the construction in which this union is present is an introductory sentence. The narrator names the source of the information. The combination is separated by commas.

Comparative turnover and incomplete subordinate clause

Before deciding if a comma is needed before "How", it is necessary to understand exactly what is the difference between a comparative turnover and an incomplete subordinate clause. It can be seen in the following example: Nowhere have I felt so good as at home. In this case, the second part is an incomplete subordinate clause. Also, do not confuse with the comparative turnover the subordinate component, which is a one-part sentence: write stories like thisas difficult as describing the sound of music in words. The second part is a one-part impersonal

Connection with the predicate

There are many examples where a comma precedes "How" not set:

1) The combination is part of the predicate: Time flew by very quickly, a day like one hour. The comparative particle is part of the predicate and is underlined along with it.

2) The word has a semantic connection with the predicate: The meeting flew by like one moment that I did not even have time to come to my senses. In this case, a comma before "How" is not put, because the whole combination with it is a predicate, and the word itself is a comparative particle. Without it, the predicate would lose its true meaning. This award was like a gift from above. This combination also acts as a predicate, because without it the sentence completely loses its meaning. And a comma before "How" that's why it's not set.

persistent expressions

Comma before union "How" not put if it is part of There are a great many such examples. After the meeting, we gained confidence in the future, because everything went like clockwork. In this case, the combination is part of a compound predicate, which in this sentence is expressed by a phraseological unit. Life should be valued and cherished like the apple of an eye. The combination is also part of the predicate, which is a persistent expression. That is why the use of racial ones is unacceptable here.

A few more features of the use of punctuation marks ...

In order to correctly determine "How" whether you need a comma or not, you need to pay attention to some more nuances. Is there a particle before this word? "Not" or these words: “just”, “exactly”, “exactly”, “completely” or "almost". If they are used, then a comma is not needed. In this case, such a construction will be called a comparative turnover, and in the sentence it will be a circumstance. For example: Nikolai always behaved with dignity, he acted exactly like a real man. If the combination means "in role", then the comma is also not put: He spoke at the meeting as a teacher of mathematics. In this sentence, it means that the person acted as a teacher of mathematics. In fact, he may not be.

We see that there are quite a few nuances in the use of the comma. You need to pay special attention to them, and then you can easily and simply avoid serious mistakes.

Both students and people with higher education can get confused in punctuation rules. One of the questions on this subject that raises doubts is the comma before "how". In what cases should it be set, and in which - not? Let's figure it out.

When is a comma placed before a

A comma is placed if the union "as" is included in the turnovers, which are close to the introductory words in terms of their role in the sentence. These are expressions: as a rule, as a consequence, as an exception, as for example, as on purpose, as now, as never before, as now, as always, as usual.

Examples in a sentence:

  • Today, as always, I stayed at home.
  • The weather, as if on purpose, deteriorated before leaving.
  • Rooks usually arrive in early spring.

The second case is if the union "as" connects parts of a complex sentence.

Examples in a sentence:

  • We watched the sun go down for a long time.
  • The fisherman showed us how to fold the line.
  • We listened attentively to how the native English people speak.

The third case is if the sentence contains a circumstance that is expressed by a comparative turnover beginning with the union "as".

Examples in a sentence:

  • She was beautiful like a princess.
  • The athlete was grasping like a tiger.
  • Andrei spoke as confidently as a true professional.

The fourth case - we must put a comma if after "as" follows "and".

Examples in a sentence:

  • Ruslan, like Lyudmila, was madly in love.
  • Clouds, like people, tend to cry.
  • The sky, like the earth, was created by God.

When not to put a comma before a

  • If "how" is preceded by "not". Example: "He didn't look normal."
  • If the turnover is part of the predicate. Example: "There was snow like a blanket."
  • With a double union "as and". Example: "We discussed this both personally and as a team."
  • In the case when a turn of one word independently answers the following questions: "How?", "In what way?". Example: "She left like a queen."

Today we have another entry of the rubric " Literacy Minute”, and it will focus on a very common difficulty: setting or not setting a comma before the union . I think you, like me, have found yourself in a quandary more than once, wondering if a comma is needed before the union or not. Today we will learn once and for all when this unfortunate comma is put, and when it is not. So...

A comma is placed.

Let's start with those cases where a comma occurs. There are not so many of these cases and, in principle, they are not difficult to remember.

1. A comma is placed if if union connects parts of a complex sentence. Everything is easy and clear here, in this case you simply cannot do without a comma.

Example: We enjoyed watching our friend reach the finish line first..

2. When the union is included in turns close in meaning to the introductory words. There are few such turns in Russian, here are the main ones: as an exception, as a consequence, as always, as on purpose, as, for example, as now, as now, as a rule, etc.

For example: In the morning before leaving, as if on purpose, it began to rain.

3. If if the sentence contains a circumstance expressed by a comparative turnover that begins with a union .

Example: The people inside were like herring in a barrel.

I draw your attention to the fact that if, after a turnover with the union the sentence continues, then it is necessary to put one more comma at the end of the turnover (to separate it). For example: In the distance, like a mirror, the water shone.

The comma is NOT included.

Now I propose to decide on those cases when the union not separated by a comma.

1. If eif unionstands between subject and predicate, Awithouthimthere would be a need to put a dash.

For example: Nose like a beak. Night is like day.

2. If turnover with unionincluded in phraseology. As we well know, phraseological units are separate integral language constructions, as a rule, unchangeable.

For example: Duringconversationhe was sitting on pins and needles.

3. Whenturnover with the unionin the sentence acts as a circumstance of the mode of action.

For example: The path twisted like a snake.

In such cases, our turnover with the union can be replaced with an adverb ( like a snake) or a noun in the instrumental case ( snake). However, the problem is that the circumstances of the course of action cannot always be distinguished with complete certainty from the circumstances of comparison. These are the situations that cause the most trouble for writers.

4. In those cases, eif turnover with unionis part of the predicate and the sentence without such a turn has no complete meaning.

Example: Young womanholdingalaslike a hostess.

5. If the comparative turnover is preceded by negationNot orone of the following particles: quite, absolutely, almost, exactly, like, just, exactly. In this case, instead of a comma, there is, as it were, a particle ( not, like, just, etc..), so such moments, as a rule, do not cause much doubt.

For example: These two don't act like good friends. In this light, her face was exactly like her mother's.

Composite unions.

Do not forget that the word may be part of a compound union … So And… or because, as well as revolutions: since, as, since, as little (more) as possible, etc.. It is quite natural that in such cases the comma before not set.

For example: All windows as inthe house itself, as well as inannex werewide open.

That's all for today. I hope we have brought the necessary clarity to the issue of putting commas before the union , and this knowledge will be useful to you in everyday writing activities. Don't forget to follow the blog for updates! See you soon!

1. In combinations “nothing else but”, “nothing but” - a comma is required.
- None other than my friend came to the rescue.
2. Pointing words: so, such, such, that.
- As beautiful as last time, she failed to dance.
3. A comma is always placed before the combination "like and".
- The room, like the rest of the house, was comfortable.
4. It is always isolated “as one”, “as a rule”.
- All, as one, rose to his defense.
5. If the sentence has the meaning of the reason, then from one part of it you can make a question, and from the other - the answer.
- Peter, as the best hunter, was chosen by the elder.
Why was Peter chosen as the elder? Because he is the best hunter.
6. Comparison - always put a comma.
- She is as beautiful as a rose.

No comma before "how":

1. As.
- The play was perceived as a call to fight.
2. The expressions "as possible", "as always" never
stand apart.
- Cross must be run as fast as possible
3. We write the union “as ..., and” without a comma before how, but a comma is always placed before “so and”.
- I like to relax here both in winter and in summer.
4. In phraseological units, a comma is never put.
- Wait like manna from heaven. Goal like a falcon. White as snow.
5. Compound unions at the beginning of a sentence are not separated by a comma. "Since", "Until", "Since".)
- While we are working, many are resting.
6. There cannot be a comma between the subject and the predicate.
- She's like a rose.