The rules of Russian spelling and punctuation are considered one of the most difficult for foreigners to study. And not every Russian-speaking person can boast that he is fluent in the basics of grammar and correctly places commas in the text.
The semicolon due to lack of knowledge of the writer in the sentence is often omitted or replaced by a more strict point. Although the rules for using the mark are simple and do not require memorization.
In complex sentences
A semicolon can be used in complex allied and non-union sentences.
Complicated is such a complex allied sentence, the parts of which are equal in meaning and do not depend on each other. If simple sentences as part of a complex include too fragmented information or are very common, you can put a semicolon between them.
Example:
Kolobok ran away from his grandmother, deceived the hare, outwitted the wolf, and did not even fall into the clutches of a hungry bear; but the cheat fox still managed to feast on them.
Complicated sentences with unions and allied words, in which one simple sentence is the main and the second dependent, are called complex subordinates. If several common subordinate parts are present in a complex sentence, then the “;” sign is placed between these parts.
Example:
The goat did not think it was dangerous to leave her kids alone in a hut standing in the middle of the forest; that the cunning hungry wolf will deceive and eat her children.
Parts of a complex sentence without unions can be both equal and have a relationship between the parts. Between the parts of such a sentence, the “;” sign is placed if they are common and contain other punctuation marks.
Example:
The frog and mouse tidied up in the hut, boiled porridge, and then chatted cheerfully over a cup of tea; a hedgehog and a cock meanwhile guarded a small tower.
When using enumerations
A semicolon is also placed at the end of list listings. Headings should be fairly widespread and may include other punctuation marks, but still not be independent sentences. To comply with punctuation rules, each heading must begin with a lowercase letter.
Example:
In the hut of the bears Masha:
- I sat on a high chair and looked around;
- ate tasty, but already slightly cooled porridge;
- lay on the bed and fell asleep at the arrival of the owners of the hut.
Between proposal members that are homogeneous
According to the rules of Russian spelling and punctuation, the use of the sign ";" it is possible to separate sufficiently expanded homogeneous terms, especially if they already contain commas.
Example:
Everything in Alyonushka was good: and mischievous eyes squinted in the sun; and freckles covering the radiant face; and tight braid to the waist.