To separate him. Separate definition: examples

Separation- This semantic and intonation highlighting of sentence members in order to give them a certain semantic and syntactic independence in a sentence. In oral speech they are distinguished by intonation, and in writing they are separated or highlighted by punctuation marks. Various members of a sentence are isolated for different reasons. In one case, the minor members of the sentence are isolated because in terms of their meaning in a sentence they are close to the predicate. In other cases they are isolated because they are used in a sentence as something additional, introduced to clarify any member of the sentence or to communicate something additional about it.All isolated members are divided into two groups: isolated members with the value of an additional predicate And isolated members with qualifying value . I. The meaning of an additional predicate can have separate definitions, applications and circumstances. These sentence members can be easily replaced with a predicate. Compare: 1) The sea, which had calmed overnight, was now barely splashing in the rocks. - The sea calmed down overnight and now it was barely splashing in the rocks; 2) An excellent mechanic, he easily fixed the problem with the engine. - He easily fixed the engine malfunction, as he was an excellent mechanic; 3) Having passed several stations without stopping, the train stopped only in Lyubertsy. - Electric train drove through several stations without stopping and stopped only in Lyubertsy. Separate definitions are expressed by participle phrases, single and homogeneous participles and adjectives, as well as phrases consisting of adjectives or nouns with dependent words.For example: Books read in childhood are remembered throughout your life; And the forest, silent, dark, stretched for many miles around(Bunin) ; I've lived a life full of surprises(Paustovsky) ; Kolya, in his new jacket with gold buttons, was the hero of the day(Turgenev). Special circumstances can be expressed by participial phrases, single gerunds, as well as nouns with prepositions despite, according to, thanks to, in spite of, because of and etc.For example: Large drops of rain crashed onto the ground, turning into dust and tiny splashes(Soloukhin); Despite the weather, we decided to perform(Obruchev). Standalone Add-ons most often expressed by nouns with prepositions except, apart from, over, except for, including and etc.For example: Apart from wild birds and animals, not a single soul appeared near the monastery(Chekhov).All isolated members of a sentence can also be expressed by comparative phrases with conjunctions as if, as if, as if and etc.For example: You walk through dry pine forests as if across a deep, expensive carpet; The room was flooded with an even light, as if from a kerosene lamp.(Paustovsky). II. Various isolated members of a sentence can have the meaning of clarification, which specify the preceding refined members. A member of a sentence will be considered clarifying if, located after its syntactic analogue, it will narrow the conveyed concept or limit it in some respect. In other words, the clarifying circumstance of time should come after the circumstance of time, the definition - after the definition, but the meaning of the second should be narrower and more specific than the first. The role of clarifying members is the circumstances of place, time, mode of action, definition and application. For example: From the south, from the steppe ridge, warm and wet snow came rushing in; On the second day, in the evening, Razmetnov ran to Davydov(Sholokhov). These sentences specify the circumstances of place and time (the most common cases).Connecting structures that contain additional notes are highlighted. or clarifications , introduced in the middle or at the end of a sentence. Such constructions are usually joined with the words even, especially, especially, for example, in particular, mainly, including, moreover, and moreover, and(meaning “and moreover”), yes, yes and, yes and in general and etc.For example: It was very warm, even hot(Chakovsky); There is a lot of nobility in people, a lot of love, selflessness, especially in women(A. Ostrovsky); And Rudin started talking about pride, and he spoke very sensibly(Turgenev); What’s a sculptor, and a bad one at that, to do?(Turgenev); Already in the Caucasus I learned, and not from the captain, that he was seriously wounded four times...(L. Tolstoy); There was only one road, and it was wide and lined with milestones, so it was impossible to get lost(Korolenko); Let these people, and many others, remember what happened. It seemed that everything, including forests and fields, was moving to the west, and it was impossible to go or go to the east.(Kazakevich)

What are isolated members of a sentence? What are they? When are members of a sentence generally isolated, and when not? In this article we will understand what isolated members of a sentence are, what categories they are divided into, as well as what rules of isolation exist.

The concept of isolated members of a sentence

So, let's start, as we should in such cases, with a definition. Isolated members of a sentence are those minor members that are distinguished by intonation and meaning. The emphasis is made so that they acquire “independence” within the entire phrase.

How are individual members of a sentence identified?

Emphasis during oral conversation occurs through intonation. If we talk about writing, then the situation is somewhat different. To highlight isolated members of a sentence in the text, commas are used.

Comparison of detached members with non-detached members

It is worth noting one simple fact: the syntactic weight of isolated members is much greater than that of their opposites. Consequently, stylistic expressiveness also increases. One cannot fail to mention logical selection.

What can be distinguished in the Russian language?

Of all the members of a sentence, only minor ones can be isolated. The main members in the proposal have never been isolated, and this is not expected in the near future.

Why is separation necessary?

It allows you to draw attention to a particular piece of information. In addition, the fragment can be presented in more detail by resorting to isolation. As mentioned earlier, isolated secondary members of a sentence have greater weight and greater independence. Let us immediately note that the separations can be very different. These are additions, circumstances, and definitions. Next we will try to understand each of these categories and give specific examples for each group.

Separating clarifications

First of all, let's figure out what separate clarifying members of a sentence are and why they are needed. As the name implies, such minor members of the sentence serve to specify and clarify. They are inextricably linked by a syntactic function with one or another member of the sentence, the meaning of which they, in fact, explain.

When are clarifying members of a sentence isolated?

1. Isolated clarifying members of a sentence can be expressed by a definition. Example: “It was dark around, even very dark, I would say. So much so that it seemed like someone in this world had simply turned off all the lights.” In this case, the phrase “even very dark” has a clarifying meaning and is separated by commas on both sides.

It is worth noting that definitions with a clarifying meaning can be highlighted when written using a dash. Example: “There were a lot of things in the house - both his personal ones and those that clearly did not belong to him.”

2. Circumstances of relevant significance are identified. They can be expressed by nouns with prepositions, as well as adverbs. For example:

  • “Only a second passed - and an explosion thundered somewhere nearby, right behind him.”
  • “Once upon a time, life flowed here, in a quiet, unfamiliar village.” Third example: “This happened quite recently, just a couple of days ago.”

Explanation: in the first and second examples, the clarification is in the nature of place. The third is the nature of time. Often the isolation of clarifications depends on the author of the passage.

3. Specifications added using the words “or”, “that is”, “namely” are distinguished. For example:

  • “Whatever his name was. There were rumors that he was either a wizard, a magician, or a superman.”
  • “It was a balanced, individual decision, that is, not imposed on him by anyone.”
  • “A lot spoke about the terrible battle that took place here, namely: helmets and scraps of uniforms, craters from artillery shells, shell casings.”

4. Clarifying members of the sentence are isolated, which are added using words such as “even”, “especially”, “including”, “in particular”. For example:

  • “Everyone remembers that no one was able to defeat the magician, even those who tried to do it in a crowd.”
  • “The victory was a joy for everyone, especially for those who sacrificed a lot for this.”
  • “Another second - the squad went for a breakthrough, including him.”
  • “Many countries welcome Russian tourists with great joy, in particular Turkey is doing this now.”

Separating add-ons

Types of isolated members of a sentence include a group of additions. These are nothing more than case forms applied to nouns. They are used with such combinations as “except”, “instead of”, “except”, “along with”, “excluding”, “besides”. Thus, it can be noted that phrases in such use have meanings corresponding to substitution and inclusion, exclusion.

Separation occurs depending on what semantic load is present, whether the author has a desire to highlight this fragment:

  • “He already felt more or less stable, except that his leg still hurt a little.”
  • “In addition to the rain promised the day before, the sky lit up with branches of purple lightning, which for a moment left their bright mark on the retina.”
  • “Along with the issues that were waiting to be resolved at work, it was necessary to do something about household matters.”
  • “Besides all this, there was one more significant flaw in the product, which decisively deterred the purchase.”
  • “And everything was fine, except, of course, for some points.”

Note that if the preposition “instead” is used in the meaning “instead”, then it is not isolated. Example: “In return for all the money he thought was promised by his friends, he received only promises, words and nothing more.”

Isolation of circumstances

Isolated members of a sentence are, as we found out earlier, secondary members that are distinguished by intonation and with the help of punctuation marks. When do circumstances become isolated? This is what we will talk about next.

  1. The circumstance is separated by commas on both sides, regardless of its location in the text, if it is expressed by an adverbial phrase. Example: “The two of them, holding their breath and holding their breath, waited for the shadow to slip further past them.” Explanation: here “hidden and holding your breath” are homogeneous and isolated members of the sentence, expressed by the adverbial phrase. There is an exception to this rule. An adverbial phrase is not isolated if it is a phraseological unit.
  2. The circumstance is separated by commas on both sides, regardless of its location in the text, if it is expressed by a single type gerund. Example: “He left without turning around, although he understood what he had just done.” Explanation: here “without turning around” acts as a single gerund. There is also an exception here. A single gerund is not isolated if it merges with an adverb in its meaning. Example: “While someone was telling me something, I stood thoughtful.”
  3. Usually two participle phrases connected by the conjunction “and” (as well as two single participles) are isolated as one phrase. Example: “Despite the mistakes of others and not listening to common sense, I continued to persistently trample my path.” Explanation: here “despite the mistakes of others” and “without listening to common sense” are homogeneous adverbial phrases. Moreover, they refer to the same word, so they are equal. Therefore, there is no comma between them.
  4. A circumstance is isolated if it is presented as a comparative phrase. Usually in comparative phrases words like “exactly”, “as if”, “as” are used. There are some exceptions to the isolation of comparative turns; they are not isolated in all cases. In general, the isolation of comparisons and comparative phrases refers to the isolation of secondary members of sentences only sometimes, so we will not talk much about this in this article. Example: “My head hurt, as if something massive had been walked on it.”

There is such a concept in Russian syntax - optional. This means “at the discretion of the author.” So, circumstances are optionally isolated in two cases:

  1. If the circumstance is presented in the form of a noun. In this case, there may or may not be a pretext. But most of all there are cases when circumstances are isolated that are expressed by a combination of nouns with certain prepositions. These are: “thanks to”, “despite”, “contrary to”, “in accordance with”, “depending on”, “to avoid”, “in view of”. Examples:

    “Thanks to the availability of free time, he was able to solve almost all his problems.”
    - “Despite the rain, they still decided to go on a picnic.”
    “Despite the threats, he has not changed his policy one bit.”
    - “In accordance with the plan, all tasks were completed within the specified time frame.”
    “Depending on what decision was made, a different fate awaited him.”
    - “To avoid a fight, the people nearby separated them into different corners.”
    “Due to unforeseen circumstances, something had to be decided quickly, but thoughtfully.”

  2. If there is clarification of place and time. Example: “And yet it was impossible not to notice that here, in this room forgotten by civilization, some company once worked and flourished.”

How can you find isolated circumstances in the text? To do this, you must first find an ordinary circumstance. And then see if it is really separated by punctuation marks. After this, you can begin to analyze the question of how the isolated circumstance is expressed. The easiest way to start your search is with participial phrases, as well as single gerunds. Comparative phrases are no less visible, which, as you remember, are also separate circumstances along with clarifications of place and time, the manner of action of a person. There is a questionnaire called “Test “Isolated members of a sentence”. It usually gives tasks to search for isolations. There is a task in which you need to find a separate circumstance in the text, expressed by an adverbial phrase. It is logical that there will be not just one gerund, but a certain set of dependent words. Clarifying circumstances can be found just as easily. To do this, simply search for words that are expressed by nouns in indirect cases. Next to them there should be adverbs and prepositions. These, in most cases, are isolated circumstances, expressed by clarifications of place and time.

Signs of isolation

According to the rules of the Russian language, the signs of isolated members of a sentence can be divided into four groups. The first group is semantic features. The second is grammatical. The third is intonation (that is, pauses and emphasizing intonation). And the last, fourth group is punctuation signs. As mentioned earlier, most often punctuation marks such as commas act as punctuation marks. But it is possible that the separation will be done using a dash. Author's punctuation marks are still a rather complicated thing.

The role of isolation in the Russian language

Isolation often makes it possible to endow a particular fragment of text or phrase with some special meaning, to give it an informational weight that is different from that of other parts of the sentence. That is, due to isolation, a peculiar emphasis is placed on certain facts. During a conversation, we often, when talking about something, without noticing it ourselves, highlight some words and even phrases with intonation. Accordingly, we are trying to draw attention to these fragments; they play some special role in a given situation. This may introduce some clarifications as well. Thus, to summarize, we can say that the role of isolated members of the proposal lies in increasing the information load.

Test “Isolated members of a sentence”

Before moving on to the final part of the article, where we will summarize its results, I would like to write my own unique test with sentences to help the reader consolidate the knowledge gained about the isolation of minor members. Perhaps the test may seem easy to some, but in fact, it is precisely this type of task that is used to identify the knowledge of students in secondary educational institutions. Next there will be a task to which you need to answer, then answer options, and after that an explanation for those who answered the task incorrectly and the correct answer.

1. Which numbers correctly indicate ALL commas that should appear in the text? “He approached a lake (1) which shimmered in the sunlight (2) and went somewhere further.”

Options: a) only 1; b) only 2; c) 1 and 2.

Explanation: “which shimmered in the sunlight and went somewhere further” - a construction consisting of two participial phrases. The participial phrase is one example of a separate definition. “Shimmered in the sunlight” and “went somewhere further” are two equal participial phrases that refer to the same word. This means there is no comma between them.

Correct answer: a.

2. In all the following cases, a sentence will be immediately written in which you need to place the commas correctly. “Everything was fine (1) except (2) that on the horizon there was already looming (3) a group of clouds gathered into one whole (4) predicting a thunderstorm (5) and heavy rain.”

Options: a) 1, 2, 5; b) 1, 3, 4; c) 2, 5; d) 1, 2, 4.

Explanation: “except” is an example of a separate object. It is not at the beginning of the sentence and not at the end, so it is isolated on both sides at once. “A group of clouds gathered into one whole” is a common definition, which is expressed by a participial phrase. There will be no separation at the pass location (3). But between “clouds” and “predicting” there is a necessary comma. “Thunderstorm” and “rain” are two equal additions that refer to the same word. Therefore, there is no need for a comma between them.

Correct answer: Mr.

3. “The sky (1) gradually (2) darkened (3) occasionally illuminated by the branches of lightning (4) and somewhere in the distance (5) peals of thunder (6) were heard, foreshadowing bad weather.”

Answers: a) 1, 2, 5; b) 2, 3, 4, 5; c) 3, 4, 6; d) 1, 5, 6.

Explanation: gaps 1 and 2 will not contain a comma, because there is no clarification there. “Occasionally illuminated by the ramifications of lightning” is a common isolated circumstance expressed by an adverbial phrase. It will be separated on both sides. “Foretelling bad weather” is a participial phrase at the end of a sentence. It is isolated on one side.

Correct answer: c.

Conclusion

So, what did we find out during this article?

  • Firstly, the use of isolated members of a sentence is done with the aim of giving the isolated fragment independence and increased information load.
  • Secondly, for isolation, commas and dashes are used in punctuation, and intonation is used in conversation.
  • Thirdly, isolated members of a sentence can only be secondary.

Isolated members of a sentence, a table for which will be presented below, may have the purpose of clarifying the time and manner of action, place. They are often also expressed by gerunds, participles and phrases. Cases with comparisons are not excluded at all.

One of the sections of syntax is the isolated members of a sentence. The Russian language presupposes the presence of such minor isolated members as: additions, circumstances, definitions, clarifications and comparisons.

Separation- This semantic and intonation highlighting of sentence members in order to give them a certain semantic and syntactic independence in a sentence.

In oral speech they are distinguished by intonation, and in writing they are separated or highlighted by punctuation marks.

Various members of a sentence are isolated for different reasons. In one case, the minor members of the sentence are isolated because in terms of their meaning in a sentence they are close to the predicate. In other cases they are isolated because they are used in a sentence as something additional, introduced to clarify any member of the sentence or to communicate something additional about it.

All isolated members are divided into two groups: isolated members with the value of an additional predicate And isolated members with qualifying value .

I. The meaning of an additional predicate can have separate definitions, applications and circumstances.

These sentence members can be easily replaced with a predicate.

Compare: 1) The sea, which had calmed overnight, was now barely splashing in the rocks. - The sea calmed down overnight and now it was barely splashing in the rocks; 2) Great mechanic, he easily fixed the problem with the motor. - He easily fixed the problem in the motor, because he was an excellent mechanic; 3) Having passed several stations without stopping, the train stopped only in Lyubertsy. - Electric train drove through several stations without stopping and stopped only in Lyubertsy.

Separate definitions are expressed by participle phrases, single and homogeneous participles and adjectives, as well as phrases consisting of adjectives or nouns with dependent words.

For example: Books, read in childhood, are remembered all my life; And the forest, silent, dark, stretched for many miles around(Bunin) ; I've lived my life full of surprises (Paustovsky) ; Kolya, in his new jacket with gold buttons, was the hero of the day(Turgenev).

Special circumstances can be expressed by participial phrases, single gerunds, as well as nouns with prepositions despite, according to, thanks to, in spite of, because of and etc.

For example: Large drops of rain crashed onto the ground, turning into dust and tiny splashes (Soloukhin); Despite the weather, we decided to perform(Obruchev).

Standalone Add-ons most often expressed by nouns with prepositions except, apart from, over, except for, including and etc.

For example: In addition to wild birds and animals, not a single soul appeared near the monastery(Chekhov).

All isolated members of a sentence can also be expressed by comparative phrases with conjunctions as if, as if, as if and etc.

For example: You walk through dry pine forests, like walking on a deep expensive carpet; The room was filled with even light, like from a kerosene lamp (Paustovsky).

II. Various isolated members of a sentence can have the meaning of clarification, which specify the preceding refined members. A member of a sentence will be considered clarifying if, located after its syntactic analogue, it will narrow the conveyed concept or limit it in some respect.

In other words, the clarifying circumstance of time should come after the circumstance of time, the definition - after the definition, but the meaning of the second should be narrower and more specific than the first. The role of clarifying members is the circumstances of place, time, mode of action, definition and application.

For example: From South, from the steppe ridge, warm and wet snow was falling; On the second day, in the evening, Razmetnov ran to Davydov(Sholokhov). These sentences specify the circumstances of place and time (the most common cases).

Connecting structures that contain additional notes are highlighted. or clarifications , introduced in the middle or at the end of a sentence. Such constructions are usually joined with the words even, especially, especially, for example, in particular, mainly, including, moreover, and moreover, and(meaning “and moreover”), yes, yes and, yes and in general and etc.

For example: It was very warm, even hot(Chakovsky); There is a lot of nobility in people, a lot of love, selflessness, especially in women (A. Ostrovsky); And Rudin started talking about pride, and spoke very intelligently (Turgenev); What’s a sculptor, and a bad one at that, to do?(Turgenev); Already in the Caucasus I learned and not from the captain that he was seriously wounded four times...(L. Tolstoy); There was only one road and, moreover, wide and furnished with milestones, so it was impossible to get lost(Korolenko); Let these people and many others, they will remember what happened. It seemed that everything including forests and fields, moves to the west, but it is impossible to go and go to the east(Kazakevich)

Conditions of separation

In order to understand why some minor members of the sentence are isolated , but others don’t, why in some cases separation mandatory, and in others optional, it is necessary to take into account the conditions separation .

Conditions of separation- these are the factors that favor the semantic and intonation emphasis of sentence members.

The most general and most obligatory condition of possibility separation is the absence of a close connection between the secondary member and the main word. First of all, this is manifested in the fact that only “optional” members of a sentence are allowed to be isolated - those that are not necessary with the main word: definitions, applications, circumstances. On the contrary, those members of the sentence that are associated with the transfer of basic, rather than additional content, are not subject to isolation.

For example, definitions are not isolated, without which a noun is unable to fully designate an object or circumstance: Instead of a cheerful life in St. Petersburg, boredom awaited me on the sidelines deaf and distant (A. Pushkin). Additions, which most often act as an obligatory part of the sentence, closely related to the main word, are also not subject to isolation.

Thus, conditions of separation- this is all that helps to weaken the connection with the main word and strengthen the semantic significance of the most minor member.

On separation influenced by syntactic, morphological and semantic conditions.

Syntactic conditions:

1. Word order:

There is a usual (direct) and an unusual (reverse) word order (inversion). Thus, with direct word order, the agreed definition comes before the word being defined, and the inconsistent definition comes after the word being defined; an additional action, called a gerund, comes after the main action, designated by the predicate. If a minor member of a sentence is placed in an unusual place for it in the sentence, then it stands out, is especially emphasized - its semantic significance is enhanced.

Therefore, among the agreed definitions, those that stand after the word being defined are usually isolated, and among the circumstances expressed by single gerunds, those that stand before the predicate.

For example: He, do not stop, ran and He ran do not stop.

2. Distant position of the secondary member of the sentence in relation to the main word (separation of the secondary member of the sentence from the main word) .

For example: And again, cut off from tanks by fire, infantry lay down on a bare slope(M. Sholokhov).

Such a separation of the definition from the word being defined is unusual and leads to an increase in its semantic weight. And this makes it necessary to isolate such a definition.

3. Volume of the isolated member (common members of a sentence are isolated more often than non-common ones) or the presence of two or more homogeneous minor members .

For example: I brought a bucket full of dew from the forest(S. Marshak) and I spared no effort to fill the bucket full(S. Marshak).

, unusual for a given minor member of the sentence (the appearance of an additional meaning in the minor member), when the minor member explains not only the word to which it is directly subordinate, but also some other member of the sentence.

For example, an agreed definition is isolated, standing even before the word being defined (direct word order), if this definition has an additional adverbial meaning: AND exhausted by effort and hardship, the old man went to bed(the participial phrase standing before the word being defined is isolated here because it also has a circumstantial (causal) meaning).

Morphological conditions of isolation

Sometimes separation depends on the presence of a certain grammatical form or a function word of a certain lexical-grammatical category in the composition of the selected sentence member, i.e. separation in this case, it is associated with the morphological way of expressing the secondary member.

Participles, short forms of adjectives and participles that act as a definition, combinations with comparative conjunctions (comparative phrases), some combinations of nouns with prepositions, the presence of introductory words usually form separate secondary members.

For example: When the letter was ready and I was about to seal it, I came in, apparently angry, headman(V. Korolenko). In this sentence, the single (non-widespread) agreed definition angry, standing before the defined noun, is isolated, since the introductory word apparently refers to it (which, by the way, is not separated by a comma from the definition).

Almost always (except in some special cases) circumstances expressed by gerunds and participial phrases are isolated.

Short forms of adjectives and participles in modern Russian have become entrenched in the function of the predicate. Relatively rarely (mainly in poetry) they are used as definitions (which relate to the subject), retaining the meaning of the additional predicate, which makes them separation mandatory, regardless of location.

For example: The air vibrates transparent and clean (N. Zabolotsky); Rich, good looking, Lensky was accepted everywhere as a groom(A. Pushkin); Awakened at the usual hour, she got up by candlelight(A. Pushkin).

comparative union, How as a rule, requires intonation highlighting of the phrase: The stuffy air is still, like the water of a forest lake (M. Gorky).

Semantic conditions of isolation

The absence or presence of a close semantic and syntactic connection between a minor member of a sentence and the word to which it refers is sometimes determined by the semantics of the word being explained. The more specific and definite the meaning of a word, the less it needs to be disseminated, the weaker are the connections with it of secondary members, which are therefore easily isolated.

For example, personal pronouns “do not recognize” the usual definitions; one cannot say: I'm attentive, he's angry(compare: attentive student, angry man). Therefore, definitions related to the personal pronoun are always isolated.

For example: And he, the rebellious one, asks for a storm...(M. Lermontov).

If the word being defined is a proper noun or refers to kinship terms (mother, father, grandfather, grandmother and similar), then this can also contribute to the isolation of the definition.

For example: Grandfather, in grandma's katsaveyka, in an old cap without a visor, squints, smiles at something(M. Gorky).

Vice versa: with nouns that are too general in meaning ( person, thing, expression, matter and similar), the definitions form a single whole, because a noun without a definition cannot participate in the formation of a statement.

For example: This misconception is common even to people smart and educated; Things happened funny, touching and tragic (V. Astafiev) - definitions in these sentences are necessary to express the main (and not additional) message.

Thus, isolated minor members with the value of an additional message have :

semantic features: they introduce additional meaning into the sentence and, in terms of their semantic role in the sentence, approach the predicate, the subordinate clause;

grammatical features: are only minor members of the sentence (separate definitions, circumstances and additions);

intonation features: pronounced with a special emphatic intonation (intonation of isolation);

punctuation marks: The letter is highlighted with commas on both sides.

If people did not decorate their speech with additional definitions or clarifying circumstances, it would be uninteresting and dull. The entire population of the planet would speak in a business or official style, there would be no fiction books, and children would not have fairy-tale characters waiting for them before bed.

It is the isolated definition found in it that colors speech. Examples can be found both in simple colloquial speech and in fiction.

Definition concept

A definition is part of a sentence and describes a feature of an object. It answers the questions “which one?”, defining the object or “whose?”, indicating that it belongs to someone.

Most often, adjectives perform the defining function, for example:

  • kind (what?) heart;
  • gold (what?) nugget;
  • bright (what?) appearance;
  • old (what?) friends.

In addition to adjectives, pronouns can be definitions in a sentence, indicating that an object belongs to a person:

  • the boy took (whose?) his briefcase;
  • Mom irons (whose?) her blouse;
  • my brother sent (whose?) my friends home;
  • father watered (whose?) my tree.

In a sentence, the definition is underlined by a wavy line and always refers to the subject expressed by a noun or other part of speech. This part of a sentence can consist of one word or be combined with other words dependent on it. In this case, these are sentences with separate definitions. Examples:

  • "Joyful, she announced the news." In this sentence, the single adjective is isolated.
  • “The garden, overgrown with weeds, was in a deplorable state.” A separate definition is the participial phrase.
  • “Satisfied with her son’s success, my mother secretly wiped away her tears of joy.” Here, an adjective with dependent words is a separate definition.

Examples in the sentence show that different parts of speech can be a definition of the quality of an object or its belonging.

Separate definitions

Definitions that provide additional information about an item or clarify its belonging to a person are considered separate. The meaning of the sentence will not change if a separate definition is removed from the text. Examples:

  • “Mom carried the child, who had fallen asleep on the floor, into his crib” - “Mom carried the child into his crib.”

  • "Excited about her first performance, the girl closed her eyes before going on stage" - "The girl closed her eyes before going on stage."

As you can see, sentences with separate definitions, examples of which are given above, sound more interesting, since additional explanation conveys the state of the object.

Separate definitions can be consistent or inconsistent.

Agreed Definitions

Definitions that agree with the word whose quality is determined in case, gender and number are called consistent. In the proposal they can be presented:

  • adjective - a (what?) yellow leaf fell from a tree;
  • pronoun - (whose?) my dog ​​got off the leash;
  • numeral - give him (what?) a second chance;
  • communion - in the front garden one could see (what?) green grass.

A separate definition has the same properties in relation to the word being defined. Examples:

  • “Briefly said (what?), his speech made an impression on everyone.” The participle “said” is in the feminine, singular, nominative case, like the word “speech” that it modifies.
  • “We went out into the street (which one?), still wet from the rain.” The adjective “wet” has the same number, gender and case as the word it defines, “street”.
  • “People (what kind?), joyful from the upcoming meeting with the actors, entered the theater.” Since the word being defined is in the plural and nominative case, the definition agrees with it in this.

Isolated (this was shown) can appear both before and after the word being defined, or in the middle of a sentence.

Inconsistent definition

When the definition does not change in gender and number according to the main word, it is inconsistent. They are associated with the defined word in 2 ways:

  1. Adjunction is a combination of stable word forms or an unchangeable part of speech. For example: “He likes (what kind of) soft-boiled eggs.”
  2. Control is the setting of the definition in the case required by the word being defined. They often indicate a feature based on the material, the purpose or location of the item. For example: “the girl sat on a chair (what?) made of wood.”

Several parts of speech may express inconsistent separate definitions. Examples:

  • A noun in the instrumental or prepositional case with the prepositions “s” or “in”. Nouns can be either single or with dependent words - Asya met Olya (which one?) after the exam, in chalk, but pleased with the grade. (“in chalk” is an inconsistent definition expressed by a noun in the prepositional case).
  • A verb in an indefinite form that answers the question “what?”, “what to do?”, “what to do?”. There was one great joy in Natasha’s life (what?) - giving birth to a child.
  • with dependent words. From afar, we noticed a friend in a dress (what?), brighter than she usually wears.

Each separate definition, examples confirm this, may differ in its structure.

Definition structure

According to their structure, definitions can consist of:

  • from a single word, for example, delighted grandfather;
  • adjective or participle with dependent words - grandfather, delighted with the news;
  • from several separate definitions - a grandfather, delighted with the news he told.

The isolation of definitions depends on which defined word they refer to and where exactly they are located. Most often they are distinguished by intonation and commas, less often by dashes (for example, the greatest success (which one?) is to hit the jackpot in the lottery).

Separating the participle

The most popular isolated definition, examples of which are found most often, is a single participle with this type of definition is placed if it comes after the word that defines.

  • The girl (what?), frightened, silently walked forward. In this example, the participle defines the state of the object and comes after it, so it is separated on both sides by commas.
  • The painting (which one?), painted in Italy, became his favorite creation. Here, the participle with a dependent word highlights the object and stands after the word being defined, therefore it is also separated by commas.

If the participle or participial phrase comes before the word being defined, then punctuation marks are not placed:

  • The frightened girl silently walked forward.
  • The painting, painted in Italy, became his favorite creation.

You should know about the formation of participles in order to use such a separate definition. Examples, suffixes in the formation of participles:

  • when creating a real participle in the present. tense from the verb 1st conjugation, the suffix is ​​written -ushch -yushch (thinks - thinking, write - writers);
  • when created in the present day. time of the active participle 2 sp., use -ash-yasch (smoke - smoking, sting - stinging);
  • in the past tense, active participles are formed using the suffix -vsh (wrote - wrote, spoke - spoke);
  • Passive participles are created with the addition of the suffixes -nn-enn in the past tense (invented - invented, offended - offended) and -em, -om-im and -t in the present (led - led, loved - loved).

In addition to the participle, the adjective is just as common.

Isolation of an adjective

Single or dependent adjectives are distinguished in the same way as participles. If a separate definition (examples and rules are similar to a participle) appears after the word being defined, then a comma is placed, but if before, then not.

  • The morning, gray and foggy, was not conducive to a walk. (The gray and foggy morning was not conducive to a walk).

  • An angry mother can remain silent for several hours. (An angry mother can remain silent for several hours).

Isolation with a defined personal pronoun

When a participle or adjective refers to a pronoun, they are separated by a comma, regardless of where they are located:

  • Frustrated, she went into the yard.
  • They, tired, went straight to bed.
  • He, red with embarrassment, kissed her hand.

When a defined word is separated by other words, the isolated definition (examples from fiction demonstrate this) is also separated by commas. For example, “Suddenly the whole steppe shook and, engulfed in a dazzling blue light, expanded (M. Gorky).

Other definitions

A separate definition (examples, rules below) can convey meaning by relationship or profession, then they are also separated by commas. For example:

  • The professor, a handsome young man, looked at his new applicants.

  • Mom, in her usual robe and apron, has not changed at all this year.

Such constructions carry additional messages about the object.

The rules seem complicated at first glance, but if you understand their logic and practice, the material will be well absorbed.


Isolated secondary members of a sentence are divided into the following types: isolated definitions, isolated additions, isolated circumstances.
Separated definedSh.M
Separate definitions can be expressed by participles with dependent words, adjectives and nouns.
Note. A participle with a dependent word or several words is called a participial phrase, which in a sentence is an agreed common definition: The sun has already hidden in a black cloud resting on the ridge of the western mountains (M. Lermontov); I will continue my journal, interrupted by so many strange events (M. Lermontov).
  1. Common definitions expressed by a participial phrase with dependent words are isolated if the definition comes after the word to which it refers (after the word being defined): A month at sunset is similar
on a hot coal covered with bluish cloud ash (V. Kataev).
The participial phrase standing before the word being defined is isolated if it has an additional adverbial meaning of reason or concession, for example: Exhausted by an obsessive thought about the sail, grandfather fell into oblivion (V. Kataev) (cf.: Grandfather fell into oblivion because he was exhausted obsessive thought about the sail); Wounded in the shoulder by a shrapnel, Captain Saburov did not leave the formation (K. Simonov) (cf.: Although Captain Saburov was wounded in the shoulder, he did not leave the formation).
An adjective with dependent words can be isolated if it comes after the qualifying noun: A high sky with a single cloud, similar to a bunch of grapes, was reflected in the water (K. Paustovsky) (cf.: Recently, the pool replenished with mountain springs unexpectedly became shallow (A. Gaidar) .
  1. Two or more homogeneous agreed upon non-widespread definitions are separate if they come after the noun being defined (often this noun has a definition standing before it): He was a naval officer, tall and pale (K. Paustovsky); And this thought, simple and clear, settled firmly in his excited head (A. Gaidar) - cf.: The watery stars of the port lanterns were liquidly reflected in the bright and completely motionless lake of the harbor (V. Kataev); It was raining, slanting, large, hitting in the face (K. Simonov) - cf.: It was falling frequently, prickly rain (K. Paustovsky).
  2. Separate are inconsistent common definitions that appear after the word they refer to and are expressed in the indirect case of a noun with a preposition, for example: Next came a real city, with tall houses, shops, warehouses, gates (V. Kataev); Two girls, who looked to be about eight and ten years old, sat next to her and looked at those who came in with large round eyes, frozen with curiosity (K. Simonov). However, this condition does not always cause separation. Wed: The same sailor with an anchor on his hand was sitting on the step of the bow ladder (V. Kataev). Isolation depends on the desire of the speaker (or writer) to emphasize the special meaning expressed by these words.
  3. Any definition (common or uncommon) standing after the word being defined" or before it is isolated if it refers to a personal pronoun, for example: Then someone called his uncle on the phone, and, excited about something, he hurried old man Yakov (A Gaidar); As an adult, I was a little ashamed... (K. Paustovsky); Why did he believe the false words and caresses, he who understood people from a young age? (M. Lermontov),
  1. Any definition is isolated if it is separated from the defined noun or personal pronoun by other members of the sentence, for example: They stood with bundles, trunks and baskets, dusty and tired (A. Gaidar); After two or three seconds, a light flashed high above the site, and, supported by a parachute, a small silver model of an airplane (A. Gaidar) hung in the air; Several times, mysterious and lonely, a rebellious battleship appeared on the horizon in sight of the Bessarabian coast (V. Kataev).
Note. It is necessary to distinguish definitions expressed by two or more adjectives from compound nominal predicates, of which adjectives and participles are part: I looked around and saw thousands of people, pale and crying with happiness (K. Paustovsky). People (k a k and x?) pale and crying with happiness. Here in the sentence there is a separate definition. The path was deaf, overgrown with grass and covered with small stones (A. Gaidar). The path (what is it?) is deaf, overgrown... and covered... Here the adjective and participles are predicates. I sat immersed in deep thought. Here sat immersed in... thoughtfulness - a compound predicate.

More on the topic TYPES OF SEPARATE SECONDARY MEMBERS OF A SENTENCE:

  1. § 32. The concept of isolated members of a sentence. Types of detached members
  2. Proposals with isolated members. The concept of isolation, isolated members of a sentence. Functions of isolated members of a sentence
  3. 37. Separation. Conditions of isolation, methods of expression. Functional and stylistic role of distinctions. Synonymy of isolated and non-isolated members of a sentence. Attachment and parcellation.
  4. Minor members of a sentence with syncretic semantics, Reasons for the syncretism of minor members of a sentence.
  5. 37. Separation. Conditions of isolation, methods of expression. Functional style role of separations. Synonymy of separate and non-separated members of a sentence. Attachment and parcellation.