The Russian language is diverse and unique. He is one of the richest in vocabulary, thanks to him Russian literature has unprecedented success, as it perfectly accurately conveys the mood of the author. At the same time as one of the most complex languages. Children in schools study the subject of the Russian language for eleven years, and at the end of their studies they take exams in it. The difficulty lies in its ambiguity - in different cases the spelling is radically different. It happens that teachers doubt many issues, which forces them to open special dictionaries. Probably, many are confused in such moments, because school knowledge is forgotten over time.

Introductory words

With the help of introductory words and constructions, the speaker is able to express his emotions. Such designs can convey joy, regret, surprise, confidence, fear and many other feelings. They are also used to evaluate an action and attract attention. In the text, such words and constructions are separated by commas. However, some people have doubts about writing introductory words and separating them.

"Unfortunately" is an introductory word

This introductory phrase refers to the category of feelings of regret and disapproval. Like all other introductory words, “unfortunately” stands out in writing and in the text, regardless of where this phrase appears. This design never written together. It is allowed to dilute the design with some semantic words.

Introductory word "unfortunately" - examples:

To my regret, he was not able to visit the art gallery, although I had long wanted to visit there.
Unfortunately, I do not share your point of view; it seems too unfounded to me.
Unfortunately, you weren't home for a long time.
Unfortunately, the abundance of unnecessary noise made it difficult to concentrate on important thoughts.
To your regret, he does not have free time that he could devote to you.
Thank you for the invitation to work, but, unfortunately, I got a job in another branch and have to decline your invitation.

It can be seen that the introductory construction fits harmoniously into any part of the sentence, while the semantic load does not change.

Noun with preposition

The introductory construction can change into a noun with a preposition. It depends on the meaning of the sentence. Then the phrase is not isolated in writing and is written separately, as before.

Unfortunately, there was an added feeling of inevitable melancholy.
Unfortunately, a feeling of resentment was also added.

1. Introductory words and phrases are not members of the proposal. With their help, the speaker expresses his attitude to the content of the statement (confidence or uncertainty, emotional reaction, etc.):

Example: Unfortunately, he didn't have watercolors(Soloukhin).

Introductory sentences can also perform the same function.

For example: I dare say I was loved in the house(Turgenev) - the structure is a definite personal one-part sentence; In life, do you know, there is always room for exploits(M. Gorky) - the structure is a two-part sentence; We, if you want to know, we came to demand(Gorbatov) - in structure, a conditional one-part clause.

In writing, introductory words, phrases and sentences usually separated by commas.

Classes of introductory words by meaning

Meaning	Introductory Components	Examples
1. Evaluation of what is being reported in terms of reliability, etc.:
1.1. Confidence, authenticity	Of course, of course, indisputably, undoubtedly, without a doubt, certainly, really, in fact, truly, of course, naturally, truly and etc.	Undoubtedly, someone is sucking the life out of this strange girl who cries when others in her place laugh (Korolenko). The heroine of this novel, goes without saying, there was Masha (L. Tolstoy). Indeed, since my mother died... I was very rarely seen at home (Turgenev).
1.2. Uncertainty, assumption, uncertainty, assumption	Probably, it seems, as it seems, probably, in all likelihood, right, tea, obviously, perhaps, perhaps, it is visible, apparently, as it seems, it is true, maybe, it should be, it seems, I think, I believe, one must believe, I hope , in some way, in some sense, suppose, suppose, let's say, if you want, one way or another and etc.	She probably still drinks coffee and cookies in the morning.(Fadeev). Life, it seems, has not yet begun(Paustovsky). Apparently the free bread was to my liking(Mezherov). And he dreamed, perhaps, to approach by a different route, to knock at the window with the expected guest, dear(Tvardovsky). I have a headache. Must be due to bad weather(Chekhov).
2. Different feelings:
2.1. Joy, approval	Fortunately, to happiness, to joy, to the joy, to the pleasure of someone, what is good, what is even better and etc.	Fortunately, Alekhine left the house an hour earlier and caught the ship sailing to Frankfurt(Kotov). Here, to Petya's indescribable admiration, an entire metalworking workshop has been set up on an old kitchen table(Kataev).
2.2. Regret, disapproval	Unfortunately, unfortunately, unfortunately, to the shame of someone, to regret, to annoyance, to misfortune, as if unfortunately, as if on purpose, by a sinful act, what is even worse, what is offensive, alas and etc.	Unfortunately, I must add that in the same year Pavel passed away(Turgenev).
2.3. Surprise, bewilderment	To surprise, amazing, amazing thing, to amazement, strange, strange thing, incomprehensible thing and etc.	Naydenov, to Nagulny's amazement, in one second he shrugged off his leather jacket and sat down at the table(Sholokhov).
2.4. Fear	The hour is uneven, God forbid, whatever happens and etc.	Just look, the oar will rip out and he will be thrown into the sea(Novikov-Priboy).
2.5. General expressive nature of the utterance	In conscience, in justice, in essence, in essence, in soul, in truth, in truth, in truth, one must tell the truth, if the truth is to be told, it is funny to say, to say in honor, between us, speaking between us, there is nothing to say in vain, I confess, except jokes, actually and etc.	There were, however, some weaknesses behind him(Turgenev). I admit, I don’t really like this tree - aspen...(Turgenev). Nothing offends me more, dare I say, offends me so much, as ingratitude(Turgenev).
3. Source of message	According to someone, according to someone, in my opinion, according to you, according to someone, according to someone, according to rumors, according to a proverb, according to legend, from the point of view of someone, I remember, one can hear, they say, they say, as one can hear, as I think, as I think, as I remember, as they say, as they believe, as is known, as was pointed out, as it turned out, as they said in the old days, in my opinion and etc.	Pesotsky, they say, has apples as big as his head, and Pesotsky, they say, made his fortune from the garden(Chekhov). The calculation, in my opinion, was mathematically accurate(Paustovsky). Twenty years ago Line Lake was such a wilderness that, according to foresters, not every bird dared to fly there(Paustovsky).
4. Order of thoughts and their connections	Firstly, secondly, thirdly, finally, so, therefore, therefore, thus, on the contrary, on the contrary, for example, for example, in particular, in addition, in addition, to top it all off, in addition, moreover, on the one hand, on the other hand, however, by the way, in general, in addition, therefore, the main thing, by the way, by the way, by the way and etc.	On the one hand, the darkness was saving: it hid us(Paustovsky). Forest air is healing, it lengthens life, it increases our vitality, and, finally, it turns the mechanical and sometimes difficult process of breathing into pleasure(Paustovsky). So, the next day I stood in this room behind the doors and listened as my fate was decided(Dostoevsky).
5. Assessing the style of expression, manner of speech, ways of forming thoughts	In a word, in one word, in other words, in other words, directly speaking, roughly speaking, in fact, in fact, in short, in short, more accurately, better to say, directly to say, easier to say, so to speak, how to say, so to speak, what's called and etc.	In a word, Storeshnikov was thinking more and more strongly about getting married every day.(Chernyshevsky). In short, this is not a master in science, but a worker(Chekhov). We got up and went to push ourselves to the well, or rather, to the fountain(Garshin).
6. Assessment of the measure, the degree of what is being said; the degree of commonality of the facts stated	At least, at least to one degree or another, to a large extent, as usual, as usual, it happens, happens, as usual, as always, as it happens, as it happens, as it happens sometimes and etc.	Talked to me at least like an army commander(Simonov). Behind the counter, as usual, Nikolai Ivanovich stood almost the entire width of the opening...(Turgenev) It happens that mine is luckier(Griboyedov).
7. Drawing the interlocutor’s attention to the message, emphasizing, emphasizing	Do you see, know, remember, understand, believe, listen, allow, imagine, imagine, can imagine, believe, imagine, admit, believe, believe, not believe, agree, notice, do me a favor, if you want to know, I remind, we remind, I repeat, I emphasize what is important, what is even more important, what is essential, what is even more significant and etc.	You were afraid, admit it, when my fellows threw a rope around your neck?(Pushkin). Imagine, our young people are already bored(Turgenev). We, if you want to know, we came to demand(Gorbatov). Where was this, please?(Pavlenko).

2. In terms of their grammatical correlation, introductory words and constructions can go back to different parts of speech and different grammatical forms:

nouns in various cases with and without prepositions;

Without a doubt, for joy, fortunately and etc.

adjectives in short form, in various cases, in the superlative degree;

Right, guilty, the main thing, in general, the most important thing, the least.

pronouns in indirect cases with prepositions;

In addition, besides, meanwhile.

adverbs in the positive or comparative degree;

Undoubtedly, of course, probably, in short, more accurately.

verbs in various forms indicative or imperative mood;

I think, believe me, they seemed to say, imagine, have mercy.

infinitive or combination with an infinitive;

See, know, admit, funny to say.

combinations with participles;

To tell the truth, in short, to put it roughly.

two-part sentences with a subject - a personal pronoun and a predicate - a verb with the meaning of expression of will, speaking, thought, etc.;

For as long as I can remember, I often think.

impersonal offers;
It seemed to her that we all remember it well.
vaguely personal proposals.
This is how they thought about him, how they usually talked about him.

That is why it is necessary to distinguish between introductory words and homonymous forms and constructions.

Note!

Depending on the context, the same words act either as introductory words (hence, not members of the sentence), or as members of the sentence. In order not to make a mistake, you should remember that:

A) you can ask a question to a member of a sentence;

b) the introductory word is not a member of the sentence and has one of the meanings listed above;

V) the introductory word can usually (but not always) be removed from the sentence.

Compare the sentences given in pairs:

This is true(Dostoevsky). - True, sometimes... it’s not too fun to wander along country roads (Turgenev).

During the summer, he can become attached to this weak, talkative creature, get carried away, fall in love (Chekhov). - You may have thought that I was asking you for money!(Dostoevsky).

Listen, we right went? Do you remember the place? (Kassil). - Donkey shouts: we’ll probably get along if we sit next to each other(Krylov).

In a number of cases, the criterion for distinguishing between introductory words and sentence members is the possibility of adding the word speaking.

By the way, he never came(“by the way”); You really shouldn't have come("as a matter of fact"); In short, the book is useful("in short"); To be honest, I don’t want to go back to what was said.("in truth").

When determining syntactic function and placing punctuation marks, in some cases it is necessary to take into account several conditions.

1) The word probably is introductory in the sense of “probably, apparently”:

The sisters are probably already asleep(Korolenko).

The word probably is a member of a sentence in the meaning “undoubtedly, definitely”:

If I know(How?) Maybe that I have to die, then I’ll tell you everything, everything!(Turgenev).

2) The word is finally introductory:

if it indicates a connection of thoughts, the order of their presentation (in the meaning of “and also”) completes the enumeration:

Opekushin came from the common people, first a self-taught person, then a recognized artist and, finally, an academician(Teleshov).

Often a word is finally preceded by homogeneous members of the word Firstly Secondly or on the one hand on the other hand, in relation to which the word finally ends the enumeration;

if it gives an assessment of a fact from the point of view of the speaker’s face or is used to express impatience, to strengthen, emphasize something:

Yes, finally leave!(Chekhov).

Note!

The word finally is not introductory and serves as a circumstantial meaning “at the end”, “finally”, “after everything”, “as a result of everything”.

Gave three balls every year and squandered it finally (Pushkin).

In this meaning, finally, the particle - can usually be added to the word (with an introductory word such an addition is impossible).

Wed: Finally got to the station (Finally got to the station). - You can finally turn to your father for advice(adding a particle -That impossible).

3) The distinction between the combination finally as an introductory one and as a member of a sentence is a circumstance similar in terms to the word finally.

Wed: After all, in the end, we haven’t decided anything yet! (in the end does not indicate the time, but the conclusion reached talking face as a result of a series of considerations). - In the end agreement was reached(meaning of the circumstance “as a result of everything”).

4) The word, however, is introductory if it appears in the middle or at the end of a simple sentence:

The heat and fatigue took their toll, however.(Turgenev); How cleverly I did it, however(Chekhov).

At the beginning of a sentence (part complex sentence) or as a means of connecting homogeneous members, the word however has the meaning of an adversative conjunction (it can be replaced by the conjunction but), therefore a comma is placed only before this word:

However, it is desirable to know - by what witchcraft did the man gain such power over the entire neighborhood?(Nekrasov).

Note. In rare cases, however, the word is separated by a comma at the beginning of the sentence, approaching in meaning an interjection (expresses surprise, bewilderment, indignation), for example: However, what a wind!(Chekhov).

5) The word of course is usually separated by commas as an introductory word:

Fedor was still working in the rear, of course, he heard and read many times about “ folk heroes» (Furmanov).

But sometimes the word of course, pronounced in a tone of confidence, conviction, takes on the meaning of an affirmative particle and is not punctuated:

Of course it's true!; Of course it is.

6) The word is indeed introductory in the sense of “yes, so, right, exactly” (usually it occupies a position at the beginning of a sentence):

Indeed, from the battery there was a view of almost the entire location of the Russian troops(L. Tolstoy).

As an adverb, it really means “really, truly, in fact” (usually it stands between the subject and the predicate):

I really just like you say(Dostoevsky).

7) A word in general is introductory if it is used in the meaning “generally speaking”:

In general, one could agree with this statement, but it is necessary to check some data; In general, I would like to know what really happened.

In other cases, the word is generally used as an adverb in different meanings:

in the meaning of “in general”, “on the whole”:
Pushkin is for Russian art what Lomonosov is for Russian enlightenment at all (Goncharov);
in the meaning “always”, “at all”, “under all conditions”:
He lights fires at all forbade it, it was dangerous(Kazakevich);
in the meaning “in all respects”, “in relation to everything”:
He at all looked like a weirdo(Turgenev).

This provision also applies to the form in general.

Wed: In general, there is nothing to be sad about(introductory word, can be replaced - generally speaking). - These are the terms generally simple process(meaning “in the end”); I made a few comments regarding various little things, but All in all praised him very much(Garshin) (meaning “as a result”).

8) Combination anyway is introductory if it has a restrictive-evaluative meaning:

Anyway, his last name was not Akundin, he came from abroad and performed for a reason (A.N. Tolstoy); This information at least in short term , it will be difficult to check (the entire turnover is highlighted).

In the meaning “under any circumstances” this combination is not introductory:

You anyway you will be informed about the progress of the case; I was firmly convinced that anyway I'll see him at my mom's today(Dostoevsky).

9) The combination, in turn, is not distinguished as occupied if it is used in a meaning close to direct, or in the meaning “in response”, “for its part”:

He in its turn asked me(i.e. when it was his turn); The workers thanked their bosses for their help and asked to visit them more often; in turn, representatives of the patronage organization invited workers to a meeting of the theater’s artistic council.

IN figurative meaning the combination, in turn, takes on the meaning of introduction and is punctuated:

Among newspaper genres, there are informational, analytical and artistic-journalistic genres; among the latter, in turn, the essay, feuilleton, and pamphlet stand out.

10) The combination in fact meaning “really” is not introductory. But if this combination serves to express bewilderment, indignation, indignation, etc., then it becomes introductory.

11) In particular, indicating the relationship between the parts of the statement, it is highlighted on both sides with commas:

He is interested, in particular, in the origin of individual words.

But if in particular it is part of a connecting structure (at the beginning or at the end), then it is allocated as occupied along with this structure:

Many will willingly take on this work, and in particular me; Many people will be willing to take on this work, and I in particular.

If in particular included in the design in general and in particular, then this construction is not separated by commas:

Over tea the conversation turned to housekeeping in general and in particular about gardening(Saltykov-Shchedrin).

12) The combination is mainly introductory if it serves to highlight a fact in order to express its assessment.

For example: There was a wide alley... and along it, mainly, the public was walking(Gorky) (it is impossible to form the combination “mainly for a walk”, so in this example the combination mainly is not a member of the proposal); The article should be corrected and, mainly, supplemented with fresh material (mainly meaning “the most important thing”). The combination mainly included in the connecting structure (at the beginning or at the end) is separated by commas along with it, for example: With fifty people mostly officers, crowded nearby(Pavlenko).

The combination is mainly not introductory in the meaning of “first of all”, “most of all”:

He achieved success mainly due to his hard work; What I like about him mainly is his sincerity.

13) The word main is introductory in the meaning of “especially important”, “especially significant”:

You can take any topic for the story, but the main thing is that it is interesting; Details can be omitted, but the main thing is to make it entertaining(a comma cannot be placed after the conjunction a, and to enhance punctuation, a dash is placed after the introductory combination).

14) A word means is introductory if it can be replaced with introductory words therefore, it became:

People are born, get married, die; that means it’s necessary, that means it’s good(A.N. Ostrovsky); So, does that mean you can't come today?

If the word means is close in meaning to “means,” then the punctuation depends on the place it occupies in the sentence:

in the position between the subject and the predicate, it means that it serves as a means of connecting the main members of the sentence, a dash is placed before it, and no sign is placed after it:

To fight is to win;

in other cases it means that it is not separated or highlighted by any signs:

if the word means is located between a subordinate and main clause or between parts of a non-union complex sentence, then it is highlighted on both sides with commas:

If he defends his views so stubbornly, it means he feels he is right; If you didn’t save the child, then you have yourself to blame.

15) The word is the opposite meaning “in contrast to what is said or expected; on the contrary” is introductory and is separated by commas:

Instead of slowing down, he, on the contrary, stood on the box and desperately twirled his whip over his head.(Kataev).

If, on the contrary (after the conjunction and) is used as a word replacing a member of a sentence or a whole sentence, then the following punctuation is observed:

when a member of a sentence is replaced, no sign is placed before the conjunction:

In the picture, light tones turn into dark and vice versa(i.e. dark to light);

when, on the contrary, it is added to a whole sentence, a comma is placed before the conjunction:

The closer the light source, the brighter the light it emits, and vice versa(the whole sentence is replaced: The further away the light source is, the less bright the light it emits; a kind of compound sentence is formed);

when, and vice versa, it is attached to a subordinate clause, a comma is not placed before the conjunction:

This also explains why what was considered criminal in ancient world considered legal in the new one and vice versa(Belinsky) (as if homogeneous subordinate clauses with a non-repeating conjunction are formed And: ...and why what was considered criminal in modern times was considered legal in the ancient world).

16) The combination is at least introductory if it has an evaluative-restrictive meaning, that is, it expresses the speaker’s attitude to the thought being expressed:

One person, driven by compassion, decided to at least help Akakiy Akakievich with good advice(Gogol); Vera Efimovna advised us to try to transfer her to a political position or, at least, to work as a nurse in a hospital(L. Tolstoy).

If the introductory combination is at least at the beginning separate turnover, then it is separated by commas along with it:

Nikolai Evgrafych knew that his wife would not return home soon, at least five o'clock! (Chekhov).

The combination is at least not separated by commas if it means “no less than”, “at least”:

From his tanned face one could conclude that he knew what smoke was, if not gunpowder, then at least tobacco(Gogol); At least I will know that I will serve in the Russian army (Bulgakov).

17) The phrase including the combination from the point of view is separated by commas if it means “in opinion”:

Choosing a place to build a cottage, from my point of view, successful.

If such a combination has the meaning “in relation”, then the rotation is not separated by commas:

I know that a crime has been committed, if you look at things from the point of view of general morality; From the point of view of novelty, the book deserves attention.

18) The word approximately is introductory in the sense of “for example” and is not introductory in the sense of “approximately”.

Wed: I'm trying to think about her("For example"), not thinking is impossible(Ostrovsky). - We are approximately("approximately") in these tones and with such conclusions they conducted a conversation(Furmanov).

19) The word is for example associated with the following punctuation:

separated by commas as introductory:
Nikolai Artemyevich liked to persistently argue, for example, about whether it is possible for a person to travel around the entire globe during his entire life(Turgenev);
stands out together with the revolution, at the beginning or end of which there is:

requires a comma before itself and a colon after itself, if it is after a generalizing word before listing homogeneous members:

Some mushrooms are very poisonous, for example: toadstool, satanic mushroom, fly agaric.

Note!

Never are not introductory and the words are not separated by commas:

as if, as if, hardly, barely, supposedly, almost, even, precisely, after all, only, certainly, just, after all, necessarily, suddenly.

3. General rules for placing punctuation marks for introductory words, combinations and sentences.

1) Basically, introductory words, phrases and sentences are separated by commas:

I admit, he didn't make a good impression on me(Turgenev); Yes, you probably saw her at that evening(Turgenev).

2) If the introductory word comes after the listing of homogeneous members and precedes the generalizing word, then only a dash (without a comma) is placed before the introductory word, and a comma after it:

Books, brochures, magazines, newspapers - in a word, all types of printed materials lay on his desk in complete disarray.

If the sentence is complex, then a comma is placed before the dash based on general rule separating parts of a complex sentence:

The men drank, argued and laughed - in a word, the dinner was extremely cheerful (Pushkin).

3) When two introductory words meet, a comma is placed between them:

What good, perhaps, and gets married, out of tenderness of the soul...(Dostoevsky); So, in your opinion Should everyone, without exception, engage in physical labor?(Chekhov).

Intensifying particles in introductory words are not separated from them by a comma:

This is probably true, since there are no contraindications.

4) If the introductory word is at the beginning or end of a separate phrase (isolation, clarification, explanation, accession), then it is not separated from the phrase by any sign:

The dark, stocky captain calmly sips his pipe, apparently Italian or Greek (Kataev); Among my comrades there are such poets, lyrics or what?, preachers of love for people(Bitter).

Introductory words are not separated from a separate phrase, even if they are at the very beginning or the very end of the sentence:

Apparently fearing snow drifts, the group leader canceled the climb to the top of the mountain; Leave these new arguments, unconvincing and far-fetched of course.

If the introductory word is in the middle of a separate phrase, then it is separated by commas on a general basis:

The child, apparently frightened by the horse, ran up to his mother.

Note!

It is necessary to distinguish between cases when the introductory word is at the beginning of a separate phrase, and cases when it is located between two members of the sentence.

Wed: He had information seems to have been published recently (a separate phrase, the introductory word seems to be part of it). - In his hand he held a small, it seems, technical reference book(without the introductory word there would be no punctuation mark, since the definitions small And technical heterogeneous, the introductory word refers to the second of them).

In the presence of homogeneous definitions, when doubt may arise as to which of the homogeneous members, preceding or subsequent, the introductory word located between them refers to, the second definition, together with the introductory word, can form a clarifying construction.

This information was gleaned from new, seems special for thiscase compiled, directory(without an introductory word, there would be a comma between homogeneous definitions); Silence and grace reigned in this, obviously forgotten by God and people, corner of the earth(clarifying definition for the demonstrative pronoun this).

If the introductory word is at the beginning of a phrase enclosed in brackets, then it is separated by a comma:

Both messages (apparently recently received) have attracted widespread attention.

5) If there is a coordinating conjunction before the introductory word, then the punctuation will be like this. Introductory words are separated from the preceding coordinating conjunction by a comma if the introductory word can be omitted or rearranged elsewhere in the sentence without disturbing its structure (as a rule, with conjunctions and, but). If the removal or rearrangement of the introductory word is impossible, then a comma is not placed after the conjunction (usually with the conjunction a).

Wed: The entire circulation has already been printed, and the book will probably go on sale in a few days (The entire circulation has already been printed, and the book will go on sale in a few days.); This issue has already been considered several times, but, apparently, the final decision has not yet been made (This issue has already been considered several times, but a final decision has not yet been made.); It is not coal that can be used here, but rather liquid fuel (It is not coal that can be used here, but liquid fuel). - The calculations were made hastily and therefore inaccurately(impossible: The calculations were made hastily and inaccurately); Maybe everything will end well, or maybe vice versa(impossible: Maybe everything will end well, but vice versa).

Note!

A homogeneous member of a sentence that comes after introductory words and therefore, and therefore, is not isolated, that is, a comma is not placed after it.

For example: The resulting strength electromagnetic field incoming signals, which means the reception strength increases many times; This scheme, and therefore the entire project as a whole, needs to be verified.

6) After an connecting conjunction (at the beginning of an independent sentence), a comma is usually not placed, since the conjunction is closely adjacent to the introductory word that follows it:

And imagine, he still staged this performance; And I dare to assure you, the performance turned out wonderful; And what do you think, he achieved his goal; But one way or another, the decision was made.

Less often (with intonation emphasis on introductory words or introductory sentences, when included in the text via subordinating conjunction) after the connecting conjunction, a comma is placed before the introductory construction:

But, to my great chagrin, Shvabrin, usually condescending, decisively announced that my song was not good(Pushkin); And, as usual, they remembered only one good thing(Krymov).

7) Introductory words standing before the comparative phrase (with the conjunction as), the target phrase (with the conjunction so), etc., are separated from them based on the general rule:

All this seemed strange to me, as did others; The son thought for a minute, probably to collect his thoughts(usually in these cases the introductory word refers not to the previous, but to the subsequent part of the sentence).

8) Instead of a comma, a dash can be used in introductory words, phrases and sentences.

A dash is used in the following cases:

if the introductory phrase forms an incomplete construction (a word is missing that is restored from the context), then a dash is usually placed instead of one comma:

Chichikov ordered to stop for two reasons: on the one hand, to give the horses a rest, on the other, to rest and refresh himself.(Gogol) (comma before subordinate clause absorbed by dash);

a dash is placed before the introductory word as an additional sign after the comma if the introductory word stands between two parts of a complex sentence and in meaning can be attributed to either the preceding or the following part:

The dog disappeared - probably someone chased it out of the yard(the dash emphasizes that it is not “the dog probably disappeared”, but that “the dog was probably driven away”).

Sometimes an additional sign emphasizes cause-and-effect or connecting relationships between parts of a sentence:

It was difficult to verify his words - obviously, circumstances had changed a lot.

Sometimes a comma and a dash are placed before the introductory word at the beginning of a separate phrase, and a comma after it to avoid possible ambiguity:

Since there is still time, we will call someone additional to the exam - for example, those taking it again (let's say in the meaning of “suppose”, “say”);

a dash is placed before the introductory word after a comma if the part of the sentence following the introductory word summarizes what was said in the first part:

Chichikov asked with extreme precision who the city's governor was, who the chairman of the chamber was, who the prosecutor was - in a word, he did not miss a single significant person(Gogol);

using a dash, introductory sentences can be highlighted if they are quite common (have secondary members):

Suspect Yakov Lukich of sabotage - now it seemed to him- it wasn't easy(Sholokhov); Let the enemy leave, or - as they say in the solemn language of military regulations- letting him get away is a major nuisance for the scouts, almost a shame(Kazakevich).

In this chapter:

§1. Sentences with introductory words

Introductory words are highlighted in oral speech intonation, and in writing - with commas.

Problem punctuation sentences with introductory words is not associated with punctuation marks as such, but with the recognition of introductory words. Since introductory words are not members of the sentence and are not syntactically related to any members of the sentence, they can always be removed from the sentence. This can serve as a check to determine whether a word is introductory.

Luckily, you're right.

(fortunately- introductory word, it can be omitted: You are right. The main content of the sentence and its structure will not be affected)

The dishes break fortunately.

(fortunately, it is a member of a sentence; it cannot be omitted, since the meaning and grammatical structure of the sentence will be violated. The dishes are breaking. And Dishes break fortunately- it's not the same thing)

Introductory words with preceding conjunctions

1. Often introductory words end up in simple sentences immediately after coordinating conjunctions. In this case, conjunctions and introductory words are not separated by commas, for example:

Call me this evening, or whenever it is more convenient for you.
Or maybe she got sick?

(union A and the introductory word are not separated by a comma)

Indeed, we never met again.

(union And and the introductory word are not separated)

2. If introductory words appear after conjunctions in complex sentences, then the conjunction and the introductory word are separated by a comma, for example:

He came to us, but, unfortunately, I was away.

(the conjunction but and the introductory word are separated by a comma)

Vitka knew that, unfortunately, he shouldn’t trust her.

(the subordinating conjunction and the introductory word are separated by a comma)

Introductory words as part of a separate construction

Separated by commas

1) if they stand in the middle of a turn:

Having read, in my opinion, all the books in school library, the boy signed up for the city school.

2) if they stand before phrases beginning with conjunctions like and so, for example:

In the morning she woke up and could no longer sleep, in essence, as always.
He fell silent, probably to end the conversation.

Not separated by commas

1) often introductory words begin a clarifying turn. There is no comma after them, for example:

In the house opposite, more precisely on the third floor, a girl lived.

2) a comma is not placed before the introductory word at the end of a separate phrase.

He constantly uses dictionaries, Ozhegov for example.

**Sentences with the word however.**

The word however can be:
1) an introductory word,
2) union,
3) interjection.

Homonyms can be distinguished by meaning, place in a sentence, role.

1.However, it is an introductory word in the middle or at the end of a sentence and must be separated by commas:

I should, however, meet him.
I should have met him, though.

2. At the beginning of a sentence or at the beginning of a part of a complex sentence, however, there is a conjunction; a comma after it is not needed. However - a conjunction synonymous with the conjunction but. Examples:

He promised to come to us more often. However, he didn't call again.
We waited for him, but he did not come.

3. However, it is used as an interjection. In this case, the word is highlighted with a comma or exclamation point, for example:

However! What a downpour!
However, what frost!

§2. Sentences with introductory sentences

1. Constructions with introductory sentences are separated by commas.

I think you're wrong.
I think you are wrong.
You're wrong, I think.

(many introductory sentences have synonyms among the introductory words. For example: I think, I think, I believe, I believe, I believe, I think and in my opinion are synonymous)

2. If the proposal is complicated homogeneous members, isolations and other components that require commas, then introductory sentences can be highlighted with dashes or parentheses. The same is possible in complex sentences.

§3. Offers with plug-in structures

Plug-in designs are more diverse and independent. They are highlighted by dashes or parentheses. Inside the insert, punctuation marks are placed according to punctuation rules. Plug-in structures are easy to recognize: they carry Additional information and are pronounced in a special way: they are distinguished by pauses, pronounced at a higher tempo, most often in a lower voice.

The arrival of Lyudmila - it was she - turned out to be a complete surprise for everyone.
Following the Phoenicians in the 7th century. BC. The Greeks (Phoceans) came to Spain, especially after the founding of Massalia (now Marseille) around 600 BC (Dictionary of Antiquity).

In contact with

General failure

1. We are very sorry, but we cannot satisfy your request for the following reasons:...

2. Unfortunately, we must inform you about the impossibility...

3. It’s a pity, but given the deteriorating economic situation, we cannot... 4.3 We regret to inform you that we are not able...

5. We sincerely regret, but the current situation does not give us the opportunity...

6. We are very sorry, but due to the presence of several and still unpaid bills, we cannot...

7. It’s a shame, but this year we don’t have the opportunity...

8. Sorry, but we cannot agree with...

9. We are forced to inform you that, unfortunately, we have no way to satisfy your request.

Refusal to provide an offer and change its conditions

1. Unfortunately, we must inform you that we currently do not have at our disposal the products that you are interested in.

2. Because the market situation has changed, we no longer produce the products you need.

3. We are forced to inform you that due to technical difficulties we have stopped production of this product.

4. It’s a pity, but with the announcement of a new currency corridor, we are forced to increase prices for our goods.

5. Unfortunately, we cannot accept your offer because we are not currently working abroad.

6. Sorry, but we cannot satisfy your request right now.

7. We are very sorry, but our warehouses currently do not have samples of the products you need.

8. Unfortunately we are unable to carry out trial deliveries as this would significantly slow down our sales transaction. We count on your understanding.

9. We are very sorry, but we have to inform you that we do not sell our products on a trial purchase basis.

10. Unfortunately, we cannot accept the delivery terms that you offer us in a letter dated... (date). Due to the limited (insignificant) area of our warehouse premises, delivery must be carried out in several stages - in three batches.

11. The prices indicated in our offer take into account all the details, so we, unfortunately, cannot satisfy your requirements (wishes) regarding the terms of payment and method of transporting the goods.

12. We are forced to inform you that, unfortunately, we cannot agree to express delivery at our expense, as you want. Our offer from... (date) is valid only on the conditions specified in it.

13. Unfortunately, we are forced to reject your proposal regarding the packaging method...

14. We are very sorry, but we cannot accept and fulfill your order, because all our production facilities are currently occupied.

15. We are very sorry, however, that you still have not paid several bills; we cannot accept a new order from you.

16. It’s a pity, but due to the complicated economic situation, we are forced to reject your order.

17. We regret to inform you that we are unable to accommodate your request to cancel your order dated... (date) because the goods were shipped yesterday.

Refusal of the offer

1. Thank you (very grateful) for your offer to work as a representative of your company in... (name of country). Your recognition and approval of my working methods are very important to me, however, unfortunately, circumstances are such that I am forced to refuse.

2. I am forced to reject your offer because its terms do not suit me.

3. Unfortunately, I have to reject your offer; I am not satisfied with the territory where I should work.

4. I am grateful for the offer, but, unfortunately, I cannot accept it because I am already working as a real estate agent in another company.

5. I am grateful for the interesting offer, but, unfortunately, I have to decline it for personal reasons.

6. I am delighted with your offer, and, unfortunately, I have to reject it due to family circumstances.

7. I’m offended (sorry) that this time I won’t be able to take part in the...

8. Due to health reasons, unfortunately, I cannot work as your representative in... the region.

9. For personal reasons, I cannot extend the contract for...

10. I received a lucrative offer of cooperation from another company, so I do not plan to renew my contract with you.

Refusal to a job applicant

1. We sincerely regret, but we have to inform you that the right to represent us has already been transferred to another person.

Thank you for your interest in our organization. We are pleased to note the high qualifications you demonstrated during the interview. However, you must agree that your higher education does not meet our needs.

2. We have considered your request, and, unfortunately, we currently do not have a vacancy.

3. Unfortunately, we are forced to inform you that all vacancies for advertising agents have already been filled (occupied).

4. Your requirements for wages, unfortunately, are unacceptable to us. It's a pity, but we have to refuse you.

5. The position of general representative of our company is already occupied by another person.

6. Due to the fact that we have already hired our own salesperson, we do not need sales representatives.

Refusal to extend the term of a contract (contract, agreement)

1. We have carefully studied your request to extend the contract for the next year and are forced to inform you that, unfortunately, we do not have the opportunity (we cannot) do this. We are grateful for your cooperation and wish you all the best.

2. Given the significant reduction in the number of full-time employees, we, unfortunately, cannot extend the contract with you.

3. We sincerely regret, but the unpleasant situation that arose during the execution of the contract does not give us the opportunity to terminate its validity period.

4. Thank you (very grateful) for your cooperation, and, unfortunately, we cannot (don’t plan to) trivialize the term of the contract with you. We are forced to inform you that we are not very pleased with the results of your work.

5. Because you often (from time to time) make mistakes, we are forced to refuse you to sign a new contract.

6. Sorry, but the current situation does not give us the opportunity to extend the contract with you.

7. Thank you for your comments and additions to the draft agreement. Having considered them at the meeting..., unfortunately, we are forced to report that we cannot agree with the wording of some points.

8. In our opinion, the responsibilities of the representative of ... (last and first name) include not only placing orders, but also providing customers with consulting services ...

9. The duties of the company representative also include regular visits to clients throughout the territory of its activities.

10. Regarding the payment of commission, we emphasize that it is carried out only after receiving payments from the customer.

11. We have received your letter dated... (date), in which you request to change clause... of the contract. We are sorry, but we have no way to satisfy your request. There are several serious reasons for this:...

12. We believe that it is impossible to include a clause on... in the agreement, because it contradicts...

13. It’s a pity, but we cannot agree with your wording of some points of the draft agreement.

14. It’s a pity, but now we do not have the opportunity to change the terms of the contract.

Reminder letter

This is an official letter that states the approaching or expiration of certain tasks or obligations, in connection with which it is necessary to take appropriate measures.

The reminder must certainly be friendly and unobtrusive: in no case should you blame the addressee, since the reason for the delay in payment or non-payment, for example, may be a very difficult financial situation in which he finds himself.

The content of the reminder letter primarily depends on whether this is the first, second or third time you are reminding your partner to fulfill his obligations, failure to meet the deadline for paying bills, and the like. If the client does not respond to your reminders, then, of course, you will be forced to inform him of your intention to go to court and terminate the contract. However, even in this case, the writing style should be polite and restrained.

For example:

Dear Sirs!

Let me remind you that the deadline for submitting a report on the research and methodological work of the university for the 2009-2000 academic year ends in June 2010.

Please send the report urgently.

Sincerely...

Dear Sir... !

Let me take this opportunity to remind you that the due date for payment of invoices for your order No.... is from...(date) has expired.

We will be sincerely grateful to you if...(date of) You will send a transfer of your debt in the amount...

We apologize for having to bother you about this.

We remain with respect...

Dear Sir...!

It is very inconvenient for us that we have to remind you again that your invoice still remains unpaid.

To meet you halfway, we limit the payment deadline to...(date), while fulfilling your new orders. If you do not pay the debt by... (date) and do not send a check showing payment, we will be forced to temporarily suspend the execution of all your orders.

We are waiting for your response.

Sincerely...

Dear Sirs!

Sorry to disturb you again, but unfortunately we have not received any response to our previous reminders. We are annoyingly surprised that your company treated our requests so negligently, although we, for our part, always strictly adhered to the terms of the contract and carried out all your orders with high quality.

Despite repeated reminders and Taken measures, Your debt not only remains outstanding, but is also growing, therefore we consider it necessary to notify you of our intention to terminate the contract.

It's a pity, aie we don't see any other way out of this unfortunate situation

Sincerely...

Dear Sirs!

Excuse me, please, but we have to remind you again about the large debt to our company, everything is growing. We have always tried to understand your financial difficulties, but this time the debt surpasses all previous ones, and the payment deadline has long expired.

We hope you understand that we can no longer neglect the interests of the company, and therefore are forced to file a lawsuit.

It is very unfortunate that our cooperation was unsuccessful.

Sincerely,...

Verbs, names and adverbs in a sentence can act as introductory words, which in one way or another - grammatically, lexically, intonation - express the speaker’s attitude to what he is reporting.

Compare two sentences:

This question, it seemed made it difficult for the guest.

Face his it seemed calm.

In both examples the word is used it seemed , but only in the second case is this word included in the members of the sentence: there it is part of a compound nominal predicate.

In the first example the word it seemed serves only to express the speaker’s attitude towards what he is reporting. Such words are called introductory words; they are not part of the sentence and can easily be omitted, for example: This question... made the guest difficult. Please note that in the second sentence, skip the word it seemed impossible.

Compare some more examples in the table:

Take it with you By the way, our books.
This phrase by the way, reminded me of an old joke.

These words are spoken By the way.

This phrase was said by the way.

Words separated by commas can be removed from a sentence without destroying its meaning.

By the way, from the first sentence you can ask the question HOW?
To the phrase BETWEEN OTHERS, you can ask the question WHEN?

Many words can be used as introductions. But there is a group of words that are never introductory. Read two sentences:

There will obviously be a good harvest this year;
There will certainly be a good harvest this year.

The first sentence uses the word obviously, in the second – certainly . Although these words are very close in meaning, only the word from the first sentence is separated by commas and is introductory. The words presented below need to be remembered: they are very similar to introductory ones, but they are not commas are not separated:

PERHAPS, SUDDENLY, SUDDENLY, SO, HARDLY, STILL, EVEN, EXACTLY, AS IF, JUST, CAREFULLY, MANDATORY, ALMOST, ONLY, ALLEGEDLY.

Introductory words can convey five various types values:

Most often, with the help of introductory words, the speaker conveys various degree of confidence in what he reports. For example: You will undoubtedly do well on the exam. or It seems like you need to study more. This group includes the words:

OF COURSE, OF COURSE, UNDOUBTEDLY, UNDOUBTEDLY, WITHOUT A DOUBT, UNCONDITIONALLY, ACTUALLY, SEEMED, PROBABLY, POSSIBLY, POSSIBLY.

Introductory words can also convey feelings and attitude speaker to what he is communicating. For example: Unfortunately, you did not pass the exam very well.

FORTUNELY, UNFORTUNATELY, SURPRISINGLY, UNFORTUNATELY.

Sometimes introductory words indicate on The source of information, which is reported by the speaker. Introductory phrases in this case begin with the words BY MESSAGE, BY WORDS, BY OPINION. For example: According to doctors, you need to stop training for a while.

The source of the message may also be the speaker himself (IN MY OPINION, IN MY OPINION) or the source may be uncertain (THE SAY IS HEARD). For example: They say you will have to stop training.

ACCORDING TO THE MESSAGE, ACCORDING TO WORDS, ACCORDING TO OPINION, ACCORDING TO RUMORS, SAYING, HEARD, IN MY OPINION, IN MY OPINION, IN YOUR OPINION.

Introductory words are also used For organizing thoughts and indications of their connections with each other. For example: Firstly, this participle was formed from a perfective verb; secondly, it has dependent words. Therefore, it must contain two letters N.

FIRSTLY, SECONDLY, THIRDLY, FINALLY, CONSEQUENTLY, MEAN, SO, OPPOSITE, FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE CONVERSE.

There are also sentences where introductory words indicate on way of organizing thoughts. For example: In a word, everything went well.

IN OTHERWISE, IN ONE WORD, IT IS BETTER TO SAY, TO SPEAK SOFTLY.

Introductory words also include words that serve to attract attention interlocutor:

YOU KNOW (KNOW), UNDERSTAND (UNDERSTAND), LISTEN (LISTEN), SEE (SEE) and others.

These same meanings can be expressed not only by introductory words, but also by similar predicative constructions (introductory sentences). Compare: The snowfall will probably end soon And The snowfall, I think, will end soon. In addition to commas, parentheses or dashes can be used to highlight introductory sentences. This is done when the introductory construction is very common and contains additional comments or explanations. For example:

We're passing through our village once, years ago - how can I tell you without lying - about fifteen years old. (Turgenev)
Alexei (the reader already recognized him) Meanwhile, he gazed intently at the young peasant woman. (Pushkin)

The rule for separating introductory words and sentences has several very important notes.

If the introductory word is preceded by the conjunction A or BUT, then a comma is not always placed between the introductory word and the conjunction. Compare a couple of sentences:
The doctor finished the appointment but of course, will look at a seriously ill patient.
He gave his word and consequently, must restrain him.

The introductory word can be rearranged or removed without a conjunction only in the first case, therefore a comma is required between the introductory word and the conjunction. It is impossible to do this in the second sentence, which means there is no comma.

Very often difficulties arise in sentences with the words HOWEVER and FINALLY. The word HOWEVER is highlighted only when it cannot be replaced by the conjunction BUT. Compare two sentences:
However we understand that this figure is still low(HOWEVER = BUT) . Bye, however, we don't yet have a clear picture of what's happening(HOWEVER – introductory word) .

The word FINALLY is introductory only when it does not have a spatial or temporal meaning, but indicates the order of thoughts. For example:
I hope that in the near future this project finally will be implemented. AND, finally, The last thing I would like to draw your attention to.

Introductory words can begin a separate construction, for example, a clarifying phrase. In this case, a comma is not placed after the introductory word (in other words, the comma, which was supposed to “close” the introductory word, is moved to the end of the separate phrase).

I saw, or rather felt, that she was not indifferent to me.

In addition, a comma is not placed before an introductory word located at the end of a separate phrase.

For the holidays we decided to go somewhere, to Kolomna for example.

If the introductory word is in the middle of a separate construction, then it is separated by commas on a common basis.

I decided to declare my love, feeling, it seems, in my heart that she was not indifferent to me.

If introductory words are located before a phrase beginning with the words “how” or “so that,” then they are separated by commas.

The day she lived seemed meaningless to her, in fact, like all life.
He thought for a moment, probably, to find the right words.

Exercise

The portraits hung opposite the mirror.
On the contrary, he didn’t even change his face.
On the one hand_ I completely agree with you.
On one side, the coin depicted a double-headed eagle.
The truth is always better than a lie.
I_really_ was somewhat surprised by this news.
In spring_possible_flooding.
There may be a flood in the spring.
Everyone in our city is already talking about this.
In Greece_ they say_ everything is there.
Maybe you deigned to express yourself this way for the beauty of the style? (Gogol).
According to weather forecasters, it will be colder next week.
As scientists say, global warming awaits us.
The train leaves in an hour_ therefore_ we need to leave the house.
Fortunately_ Pechorin was deep in thought (Lermontov).
We have gathered here_first_to resolve the issue of the timing of the work.
He didn’t want to shoot himself - thank God - he didn’t want to try... (Pushkin).
Of course_ you have seen the district young lady’s album (Pushkin) more than once.
In one word, you got off easy.
So_ now we can draw a conclusion.
“You don’t bother me at all,” he objected, “if you please, shoot yourself, but as you please; your shot remains behind you; I am always ready at your service (Pushkin).
She suffered for a very long time after separation, but as you know, time heals any wounds.
The wind, however, was strong.
Fedya brought flowers_ however_ Masha didn’t like it.
A strong, yet warm wind blew through the window.
A good upbringing, as we know, can be achieved in boarding schools (Gogol).
However_ there are various improvements and changes in methods... (Gogol).
You_ definitely_ should come to us.
I took the ace of hearts from the table, as I remember now, and threw it up (Lermontov).
However, General Khvalynsky himself did not like to talk about his career; He seems to have never been to war (Turgenev).
You will become wild_ you know_ if you live locked up all the time (Gogol).
He was probably a grateful person and wanted to pay for his good treatment.
You supposedly had to come to his office and report on the trip.
Yes_ I confess_ I thought so myself.
I still decided to do it my own way.
Ivan Petrovich, you know, was an extraordinary man.
Nobody, of course, went to see him (Turgenev).
Gleb, as far as I knew, studied well at the Bryansk gymnasium (Paustovsky).
But perhaps the reader is already tired of sitting with me at Ovsyannikov’s house, and therefore I eloquently fall silent (Turgenev).
My arrival—I could have noticed it—at first somewhat confused the guests.
However_ the political process began to develop in a different way.
In my last report, I hastened to inform you that we finally managed to solve this problem.
The experiences of transformations that happened around us had, without a doubt, a strong influence on the thoughts of the majority of people involved in them (M. M. Speransky).
A group of border guards led by an officer approached the violators with the intention, as had happened before, to protest and demand that they leave the territory.
Finalization of the agreement will probably take several more months.
Secondly, there are a lot of abuses in the field of international tourism.
However, if we remain committed to the spirit and letter of this document, it could not have been otherwise.
We all know well, and everyone here knows well, that on the western, or as they say, the second front, about 1.5 million Allied troops and about 560 thousand German troops were concentrated.
This modest, symbolic gesture seems to me to be full of deep meaning.
Fortunately, the examples mentioned above are the exception, not the rule.
Increased baggage value may be claimed for certain types of items.
The reason for this is obvious: when the mind begins to recognize the price of freedom, it dismisses with carelessness all the children's toys, so to speak, with which it amused itself in its infancy (M. M. Speransky).
Pravda_ spoke to me politely, did not force me to do anything, and I remember having the impression that he did not look at all these accusations seriously.
But in our case, the truth quickly came out, and we were soon released.