Is a comma necessary before "as"? Is there a comma before the word “how” or not? Do it right comma

Expressions that are integral in meaning are not separated or set off by commas.

§ 41.1

A comma is not placed before a subordinating conjunction or allied word in indecomposable combinations: do it properly (as it should be, as it should be); perform as it should (as needed, as needed); grab whatever comes your way; appear as if nothing had happened; to achieve at all costs; come whenever you want; they hid somewhere; don't go where you shouldn't; spend the night where you have to; take what you like; save yourself who can; live as you know; here you can always get what you need; everything was as it should be; say whatever you want; take what they give; tell it like it really is; swears at all costs; I’ll find something to do; I’ll find something to do; I will invite anyone I wish; get what you need(But: get everything you need);profit from what you can; paid God knows how much; you don’t mind giving anything; the picture is wonderfully good; passion is so interesting; work that is needed(But: Re-read what you need and answer); get what you need; God knows what.

Wed: in the language of fiction: And now, out of mercy, a corner has been set aside - and they live whatever God sends(T.); Come what may, and I’ll see Boris!(Acute); Be happy with whomever you want(Adv.); We God knows where are we going(L.T.); Finally, someone rushed from the crowd towards the guy and, grabbing him by the shoulders, shouted what strength was there(Grig.); “I’ll treat you!” I’ll treat everyone!” - shouted Ilya Ignatievich what to eat(Dec.); I live wherever you have to(Ch.); They remembered their youth and chatted God knows what(Ch.); “Cool old man,” Panteley muttered. - Trouble is so cool!”(Ch.); You'll see enough, you'll hear enough here what not to do(M.G.); ...He never touched a finger, but lived where God will send(Boon.); Kuzma even shrugged his shoulders: God knows what in these steppe heads!(Boon.); He'll get there god knows until what with your games(Paust.); We have a grandfather terribly so brave(Paust.); Remained in the buff(Sh.); The headquarters remained as if nothing had happened where he stood(Sim.).

This rule is based on the fact that phraseological units do not form a subordinate part of a complex sentence and are usually equivalent to a member of a sentence. Yes, in combination talks about it wherever he can the last words mean "everywhere". If any of the above and similar phrases is not used as a phraseological unit, then it can form a subordinate clause (usually an incomplete sentence) and be separated by commas.

Wed: Colloquial words began to be used where it is needed and not needed("everywhere"). - Put, where needed missing punctuation marks(“where it is needed”).

§ 41.2

Verb expressions are not separated by a comma want, forming integral expressions: write as you want(“write in any way”); He is commanded by whoever wants; The only people who don’t drive him are those who don’t want to; come whenever you want; take as much as you want; hang out with whoever you want; Do whatever you want; dispose of it as you wish; write whatever article you want; drink whatever wine you want; marry whoever you want(But: married whomever he wanted; marry whoever he wants - p in the dismembered meaning of the verbs forming the predicate of an incomplete sentence).

You think whatever you want(L.T.); Doesn't matter, call whoever you want(A.T.); "Do what you want", - Dubrovsky answered them dryly(P.); Let him get the money where he wants and how he wants(Cupr.).

§ 41.3

Inside combinations not that, not that, not so, not otherwise than no comma is used: Here now not really earlier, everything became more interesting; Not really I’m very pleased, but I can’t complain; We spent time not so much it's a lot of fun; The note can be typed nothing less than petit.

Wed. in the language of fiction: I him… not that to love not that so as not to love, somehow...(T.); Today not really soldier, but I saw peasants(L.T.); At that moment I'm not really chickened out and was a little timid(Cupr.); Chichikov called the police officer nothing less than dad(G.).

§ 41.4

(not) more than, (not) less than, (not) earlier than, (not) later than etc., if they do not contain comparison: The parcel weighs not more than eight kilograms(cf.: ...no more than eight kilograms); He will return no sooner than In the evening(cf.: ...not until evening); The job can be done less than in an hour; You were there for me more than friend; Submit your documents no later than tomorrow; Overhead costs turned out to be higher than expected; With your musical abilities you have to think not less than about the conservatory; Incubator temperature no lower than need to; To the tests he more than ready; All this no more than idle dreams; He was more than artist - he was a poet; The calculations turned out to be more than approximate; Mission completed less than one third; This nothing more than slander; Product output increased more than doubled; Maslenitsa passed me worse than sad(Ch.).

But (if there is a comparison or comparison): Works no less than others; Suffered from the cold more than from hunger; Came back earlier than expected; This room higher than the neighboring one; He will return no later than circumstances require; There were guests less than expected; More than physical pain he suffered from the thought that he was now disabled(gas.); More than anything else the patient needs rest; Sipyagin was much worried more than his guest(T.).

§ 41.5

Commas are not placed inside combinations unknown who (what), unknown which (where, how, where, from, her), unclear who (what), unclear which (where, how, whither, from where, whose), indifferent who (what), indifferent which (where , how, where, where, whose), no matter who (what), no matter which (where, how, where, from, whose); came no one knows why; asked me it’s unclear what; pass it on it doesn't matter to whom; accommodate visitors no matter where.

Wed: The old man saw a short gelding in the morning and began to tan: without a tail no matter what without a head - disgusting to look at(A.T.).

§ 41.6

A comma is not placed before a combination of interrogative-relative pronouns who, what, which etc. or adverbs where, where, where etc. with words whatever And horrible, since in these cases whole expressions with the meaning of a word or phrase are formed: anyone("any"), anything("All"), any("any"), anywhere("everywhere"), anywhere("everywhere"), whenever("Always"), from anywhere(“from everywhere”), as much as you like(“a lot”), etc.; just anyone(“it doesn’t matter who”), anyhow(“it doesn’t matter how”), just any(“it doesn’t matter which one”), etc. For example: It can do anyone; He left home when, where and for as long as you want(But: I could sing as much as I wanted then - in case of loss of phraseological integrity); I came and took it whatever; Ryla anywhere.

Wed. in the language of fiction: Give me an answer whatever and whenever(T.); I ready to wait as much as you like(T.); ...Everyone lends me money as much as you like(G.); This is what you will find anywhere(Trif.); Grandfather was so angry that he stopped ten times and spat with rage. anywhere(Cat.); Scolding the careless carters who dumped the firewood anyhow... Grandma started stacking the woodpile(Guide.).

The same with combinations as much as you like And as much as you like: You can be indignant at people like Bazarov as much as your heart desires, but recognizing their sincerity is absolutely necessary(D.P.); Well guys, get warm now how much will fit(Ver.).

§ 41.7

The comma is not placed inside expressions like there is something to do, there is something to work on, there was something to think about, I’ll find somewhere to turn, I can’t find anything to say, I have nothing left to live on, consisting of a verb be or find (be found), stay and interrogative-relative place of noun or adverb (who, what, where, where, when etc.) and the indefinite form of another verb: Do you have anything in the world to forget?(L.); There is someone to scold, no one to feed(Dahl); There's a lot to like(Writing); And our intelligentsia has something to love, something to respect(M.G.); There is something to think about; We found something to surprise you with; I couldn't find anything to say; We will have something to trump; I found a place to be fashionable; There is time to chat with you!; There was reason to be depressed; Friends have a lot to talk about; The guys had a place to spend their free time; We had something to reproach him for.

§ 41.8

Combinations are not separated by commas whoever is, whatever is, whatever is and so on.: You will willingly allow someonenot at all...I personally corrected the symmetry in your face(S.-Sch.); It was the mostno matter whatordinary woman(Er.); ...I’d rather see how you work - that’s allno matter whatI'll take over the experience(EAT.).

§ 41.9

The comma is not placed before the conjunction What in expression only...that, followed by a noun or pronoun: The only money is a nickel in your pocket; The only thing is that the shirt is on the body; The only entertainment is a movie once a week; There is only light in the window; There's only talk about the two of them.

But if a construction containing a complex particle in the first part only and verb do (do, know) and union What, has a verb in the second part, then before What comma put: They are with grandfather that's all they did played chess(Usp.); From nine in the morning to six in the evening all you know is that you're stuck here(Cupr.); All he does is chatting; All I did was refused; He only knows that walks from corner to corner. The use of a comma in such sentences is explained by the fact that they are complex: the second part with the conjunction What shows that someone's activity is limited, and a complex particle that's all in the first part indicates this limitation.

The same if the second part is a subordinate part of a complex sentence: That's all that's new the hares are conferring on how to drive away the eagles(L.T.).

§ 42. Comparative turnover

§ 42.1

Commas comparative phrases beginning with conjunctions are highlighted or separated as if, as if, as if, rather than, than, precisely, that: The wind was blowing towards as if trying to stop the young criminal(P.); From above I saw Moscow as an anthill(P.); And the old cat Vaska seemed to be more affectionate towards him, rather than to someone in the house(Gonch.); ...And her hair[mermaids] green, what is your hemp(T.); However, these were more like caricatures, than portraits(T.); Towards the end of the duck hunt, like goodbye began to rise in flocks(T.); But precisely because Alexandra Gavrilovna gets excited, she loses more often, than husband(S.-Sch.); There was a smell of musty dampness coming from somewhere, straight from the cellar(M.-S.); Panteleimon... sits on the box, stretching straight forward, exactly wooden, hands(Ch.); Sometimes you shoot a hare, wound him in the leg, and he screams, like a child(Ch.); The moon rose very purple and gloomy, definitely sick(Ch.); On the Red Square, as if through the fog of centuries, the outlines of walls and towers appear unclear(A.T.); Better late than never(last).

Commas are not used in these cases if the phrases are of a phraseological nature: What stuck like a bath leaf?(T.); What are you? Are you sure you swallowed a fly?(M.-S); As I remember my old concepts, I suddenly as if someone is dousing it with varnish(Acute); Traitors as if they had sunk into the water (N.N.); Right out of the ground the stroller on tires has grown(Alt.); There was only Smolnikov as if on pins and needles(Copt.). In some sentences, phraseological units act as a predicate rather than a comparative phrase.

§ 42.2

Comparative phrases with the indicated conjunctions are not separated by commas if they are part of the predicate or are closely related to it in meaning: The stars in the dark sky are like sparkles scattered on velvet; He looks for life as if through rose-colored glasses; Bay water like black mascara; Mighty Oak like a warrior in armor; Happy song that a winged bird: carried away far, far away; To the past we we look as if through a crystal prism; He and I are like brothers; Stands rooted to the spot; Lantern lights like beacons(for the absence of a dash in these cases, see § 5).

§ 42.3

Commas comparative phrases with a conjunction are highlighted or separated How in the following cases:

1) if they denote similarity (How means "like"): With light fingers, like a dream, touched my eyes he (P.); Her lips like a rose are blushing(P.); Broken to dust, fleeing, he is careless, like a stupid child(P.); ...And the whole steppe was covered with the fallen, like a swarm of black locusts(P.); Like an unfortunate separation, Tatiana grumbles about the stream(P.); The air is clean and fresh, like a child's kiss(L.); And the sadness at the bottom of the ancient wound began to stir, like a snake(L.); And, like the silent victims of the tomb, they were both careless(L.); Like a desert leopard, angry and wild, I was on fire(L.); Under him, like the ocean the steppe all around is turning blue(Kr.); And he saw himself rich, like in a dream(Kr.); At the bottom, like a steel mirror, lake streams turn blue(Tyutch.); And embittered by the battle, like a fatal attack, the waves are howling again(Tyutch.); ... These luminaries like living eyes, looking at the sleepy earthly world(Tyutch.); And sweet thrill like a stream nature ran through my veins(Tyutch.); Here the stars will look from the sky, and, like a river The Milky Way will light up(Fet); Like a seagull the sail there is white in height(Fet); He behaves surprisingly well, is careful, like a cat(T.); At the very bottom, dry and yellow, like copper huge slabs of clay stone lay(T.); Like a woman you loved your homeland(N.); The words stretched endlessly one after another, like thick saliva(S.-Sch.); The officer gasped and, curled up, sat down on the ground, like a shot bird in flight(L.T.); She's like a bee knew which place was more painful to sting him(L.T.); The old bridge was broken and in its place they made a basement, straight, like a stick embankment(L.T.); I suffered for dear, kind Ivan Andreich, like a son(L.T.); His existence is enclosed in this tight program, like an egg in a shell(L.T.); She looked at him like an icon with fear and remorse(L.T.); Tall, black chimneys loomed gloomily and sternly, rising above the settlement, like thick sticks(M.G.); ...Drinking grandma's liqueurs - yellow, like gold dark, like tar and green(M.G.); As soon as I do something, he’ll come eat me, like rusty iron(M.G.); Only the corners of the hall remained motionless, tightly like a pillow with a feather, packed with guests(M.G.); ...Nikita has girlish eyes, big and blue, like his shirt(M.G.); Our words, even the most important ones, become a habit, decay, like a dress(M.); I've been through all my life like in a thousand years, carried this memory(Priv.); The mystery is alluring, like an eternal spring, gushing from the deepest depths(Fed.); There were a lot of people on the street like a holiday(Quiet); Lightning, like ties they fly in the wind(Bagr.); And the wife is already at the door and the frying pan, like a gun holds at the ready(Sh.); And they hugged like brothers father and boy-son(TV).

Wed. Also: Year, What's up(the name of the movie), - “a year is like life”, and not “a year is life” (cf.: The sky is like the sea where is the union How predicate is added); A stately figure loomed, like a statue(“loomed like a statue”, not “loomed like a statue”; see below); The farmers are looking at us, I don’t know who; Friends, like in a dream, went outside; Low-hanging light bulbs glowed, like in fog; On that day, Mary like a storm flew into the hut; Let's talk like man to man; Have me at your disposal as a friend; His every word like fire burns; Slander spread like an infection; He said the last word how he chopped it off; She couldn't sit idle, she worked, how the bird sings - the comparison is expressed not by a phrase, but by a whole sentence; He wanted like a child pat her on the head - p repositive comparative turnover.

A comparative phrase may contain a connotation of causal meaning: Wasenda, as a positive and practical person, found the assigned place unprofitable(Pom.) (“being a positive person”); She was, like the smaller one, father's favorite(L.T.) (“because she was smaller”); As the eldest I order you, gentlemen, to disperse immediately(Cupr.); He cast aside this fleeting suspicion, as inspired by his suspiciousness; Release, like someone who couldn't do the job...(compare with the placement of a comma when applying with a conjunction How with a causal connotation of meaning; see § 19, paragraph 7);

2) if there is an indicative word in the main part of the sentence (so, so, that, so): The coachman was equally amazed at his generosity, like the Frenchman himself from Dubrovsky’s proposal(P.); Nowhere else at a mutual meeting do they bow so nobly and naturally, like on Nevsky Prospekt(G.); His facial features were the same like my sister(L.T.); Laevsky is certainly harmful and just as dangerous to society, like a cholera germ(Ch.); Everything around is somehow churchy, and the smell of oil is just as strong, like in church(M.G.); ...I will do everything to become like this how is she(Pan.); It's rare to meet such an interesting person How is he.

But: Our group passed all tests ahead of schedule, same as parallel - without dismembering a complex union (see § 34, paragraph 1);

3) if the revolution begins with the combination as well as: To Moscow, like the whole country, I feel my filiality, like an old nanny(Paust.); In her eyes as in the whole face, there was something unusual; Children, like adults, must be accustomed to comply with the rules of the hostel; Just like at last year's competitions, the athletes of the Russian Federation were ahead;

4) if the turnover is expressed in combinations as a rule, as an exception, as usual, as always, as before, as now, as now, as if on purpose and so on.: I see as it is now, the owner himself(P.); What a shame! How on purpose not a soul! (T.) - in the meaning of an introductory word; She has now become slender and thin again, like before(M.G.); The day has begun As always, in thick fog(Rev.); I remember like now, this meeting during the expedition; Commas, usually, participial phrases are highlighted; As an exception, you will be allowed to retake the exam; A dispute arose about rituals in general - are rituals permissible? as such, Do they harbor superstitions and prejudices?(Ver.); To complete the work you will need, least, whole month; Athletes were preparing for the Olympics, more than ever, tense;

5) in revolutions none other than And none other than: Rhine Falls in front nothing more than a low water ledge(Bug.); For a moment it even seemed to him that it was none other than Valko, could give Volodya Osmukhin such a task(F.).

Wed. Also: Who, how not he can fulfill your request; He, like no one else knows how to come to the rescue in time.

§ 42.4

Turnovers with the union How are not separated by commas:

1) if the meaning of the circumstances of the course of action comes to the fore (turns with How can be replaced in these cases by the instrumental case of a noun or an adverb): Like hail buckshot rained down(L.) (cf.: rained down with hail); Like a demon treacherous and evil(L.) (cf.: demonically insidious); He's angry like thunder thundered like steel sparkled; Horse like a snowstorm flies like a blizzard in a hurry; Like lightning they flared in the sky, like rain of fire fell from the sky; I looked at her like a fool(T.);

2) if the main meaning of the turnover is equating or identifying: …You loved meas property, as a source of joys, anxieties and sorrows(L.) (cf.: ...loved me, considering me his property- i.e. identifying me with my property); Try to look at melike a patientpossessed by a disease still unknown to you(L.) (cf.: ...equating me to my patients); [Judas] handed over his stoneas the only thingwhat could he give(S.-Sch.) ;

3) if union How has the meaning “as” or in conjunction with the conjunction How characterizes an object from one side (see § 19, paragraph 7): Rich, good-looking, Lensky was accepted everywhere like a groom(P.); So I advise you like a friend be careful(L.); I speak as a writer(M.G.); We know India as country of ancient culture; I will save this letter like memory; They are talking like strangers; We met like old acquaintances; Bought and sold as a product not labor, but labor power; Space explorers settled on dogs as fairly highly organized animals; Negotiations with him should have been conducted as with an equal side; Peter I did not consider it shameful to work like a simple carpenter; Yuri Gagarin made history as the world's first astronaut;

4) if the phrase forms a nominal part of a compound predicate or is closely related in meaning to the predicate (usually in these cases the predicate does not have a complete meaning without a comparative phrase): Marya Ilyinichna sat on pins and needles(P.); Some are like emerald, others are like coral(Kr.) (see § 5, note); She herself walked like wild(Gonch.); Like a child I became a soul(T.); “The city is like a city,” Bazarov remarked coolly(T.); Gamzat left the tent and approached the stirrup of Umma Khan and accepted his like khan(L.T.); Her father and mother like strangers(Voluntary); Our garden like a passage yard (Ch.); I looked fascinated(Ars.); My stories were assessed as funny or nasty jokes(M.G.); All belonged to Vanya like your own person(Priv.); Poem was spoken as a confession(Fed.); Splashes and waves were like in life(Fed.); I speak of the poet Nikolai Tikhonov as the happiest writer's destiny(Fed.); Like the sun she(Safe.); He talked about familiar things like about something unusually interesting(Paust.); Prishvin thought About Me like a poet "crucified on the cross prose"(Paust.); At the local market like at any bazaar; He was sitting thunderstruck; Everything is as in the pictures: and mountains, and forest, and water; Feel yourself like at home; He said these words as a well-mannered person; Everything is as usual, only the clock became; Forehead was like white marble; Our view was like the latter robbers; Everything is like with people; They have livestock like ants in an anthill; Girl's hair like straw; This sound was like an alarm clock; His whole life is so bright holiday; You have a darling like a hare; At war like in a war; She told him like a dear mother; In his best works the writer appears as creator deeply realistic pictures of reality; Clouds like lead; A few years later our village it will be like a city; You boil this fish, and it it will become like butter; dry it, and he will become like a stone; Dress became like a rag; Everyone understood this is a remark as an objection; They were worried neighbor's death How personal grief; They spoke of him as an honest man; She behaved like a hostess; He lives as if blindfolded; People always go to underground fires treated like to the terrible to the enemy; Play written as a comedy;

Him right away accepted as one of our own; Readers perceive his books like a textbook life; He looked like a sick person; Actor remained in the history of theater like a great artist; Animals in fables behave like people; This melody was created by Glinka, but it perceived as truly folk; I accept your feedback as a sign of approval; Opinion it is treated as a hypothesis; About “Hero of Our Time” by Lermontov Belinsky spoke as if it were a novel; He was treated like an uninvited guest; I'm behind them how I look after the children; Many performances look like self-reports; Lifetime plausibility enters as an obligatory element in artistic truth; This is a memory lies on me like a stone; Leave All as it is; The best thing keep as it was; We will accept data as such.

Other examples: feel like you are in your own element; behaves as if he were insane; understand as a hint; perceive as praise; recognize as a danger; greet as a friend; look like a child; evaluate as an achievement; be treated as an exception; take for granted; present as a fait accompli; qualify as a violation of the law; mark as a great success; interest as a novelty; put forward as a project; justify as a theory; develop as a tradition; express as an assumption; interpret as a refusal; define as a special case; characterize as a type; stand out as a talent; issue as an official document; sound like a call; be included as an integral part; appear as a representative; feel like a foreign body; exist as an independent organization; arise as something unexpected; develop as a progressive principle; perform as an urgent task; comprehend as something new; develop as an artist and so on.;

5) if the comparative phrase is preceded by a negation Not or words completely, completely, almost, like, exactly, exactly, simply, directly and so on.: I did not cultivate this feeling of celebration in myself as a rest and just a means for further struggle, but as a desired goal(Priv.); [Andrey Bely] devoted himself to the language precisely like a shaman self-stimulating(Fed.); It was light, almost like during the day; Children sometimes reason completely like adults; The girl's hair is curly like a mother;

6) if the turnover has the character of a stable combination: The deer ran away a little and stoppedrooted to the spot(Ars.); Leolike a mountain was lifted off my shoulders(Kr.); Robber of a manhow I stole the sticky stuff(Kr.); And after a few weekslike a bolt from the bluethe news spread...(Versh.); With a husband, with a dead man,like behind a stone walllived, did not enter into anything(Acute); The rain was pouring downout of a bucket(S.-Sch.); I ask you to stop these ridiculous lessons in English, which he has become accustomed tolike a cow's saddle(Laurel); The young couple were happy, and their life flowedlike clockwork(Ch.); [Organ grinder] works for human pleasurelike a running car(Adv.); I need your confessionlike a dog's fifth leg(Sh.); After all, she lived with a paramediclike a cat and a dog(Ch.); You'll get caught by a foollike chickens in cabbage soup,mark my words(Virta); You are writinglike a chicken paw(M.-S.); Loosening will help himlike a poultice for a dead man(Nick.); He will go. Those weren't the ones who got screwed.How cutewill go(Arb.); And if he had some kind of past - after all, everyone knows himlike peeling(F.); It's a pity, time is short, ten days will fly bylike one minute(Sayan.); Like an aspen leafAlena Dmitrievna shook(White); Why are you standing?How's the stump?(Laurel); There was nothing to do, I had to spend two nights on the ship; when he went back to Khabarovka, I found myselflike a broke cancer(Ch.); A guy will come into the compartment, stretch the bellows of an accordion or a three-row car, and all the worrieshow to remove it with your hand(Sol.); ...Old bookslike the back of my handknew(M.-P.); Our brother therelike herring in a barrel(G.-M.); Shut up your fountain of eloquence and don’t lielike a gray gelding(Mill.); My dad would fuck me with all his heartlike Sidorov's goat...(Ch.); You're running away from melike hell from incense(Bab.).

Here is a list of the most common stable combinations with the conjunction How(according to dictionaries and observations of texts of different genres): white as a harrier (like paper, like chalk, like canvas, like snow); cherish as the apple of your eye; pale as death; shines like a mirror; the illness vanished as if by hand; fear like fire; wanders around like a restless person; rushed like crazy; mumbles like a sexton; ran in like crazy; spins like a squirrel in a wheel; clearly visible; I see as if during the day; squeals like a pig; hangs like a whip; hangs around the neck like a millstone; everything is as if chosen; jumped up as if scalded (as if spurred on, as if stung); stupid as a plug; goal like a falcon; hungry as wolf; dirty as a pig; as far as heaven from earth; trembled as if in a fever; trembles like an aspen leaf; wait like manna from heaven; tenacious like a cat; fell asleep like the dead; froze as if lifeless; healthy as a bull; angry as a dog; have at one's fingertips; rolled around like cheese in butter; sways like a drunk; beautiful as God(but before your own name: handsome as Apollo; compare: fast like Ajax; wise as Solomon; strong like Hercules and so on.); red like cancer (like blood); strong as an oak; screams like a catechumen; light as a feather; flies like an arrow; sticky like tar; burst like a soap bubble; to thrash like Sidorov's goat; bald as a knee; it's raining cats and dogs; waves his arms like a mill; slow as a turtle; rushes about like crazy (like a wild animal); wet as a mouse; silent as a fish; gloomy as a cloud; people like sardines in a barrel; you can't see your ears; silent as a grave; slow as an elephant; clumsy as a bear; running around like crazy; needed like air; one like a finger; remained broke like a crayfish; stopped dead in his tracks; razor sharp (like a knife); different as heaven from earth; turned white as a sheet; he wandered off like a beaten dog; repeated as if delirious; you'll go like a darling; remember your name; hit like a blow to the head; fluttered like a moth; sank like a stone; loyal like a dog; stuck like a bath leaf; swept by like a hurricane; disappeared as if into water; timid as a chamois; burned as if on fire; worked like hell; melted like snow; grow like mushrooms after rain; fell out of the blue; fresh as a cucumber; sat as if on pins and needles (as if chained, as if on coals); sweet as honey; blind as a mole; listened as if spellbound; looked as if enchanted; slept like the dead; stands like a stump; slender as a Lebanese cedar; hard like granite (like stone); dark as night; thick as a barrel; skinny as a skeleton; cowardly as a hare; stubborn like a sheep; stubborn as a donkey; tired as a dog; cunning like a fox; it gushes like a bucket; walks as if submerged; cold as ice; black as soot (like a chimney sweep, like the devil); feel at home; staggered like a drunk; walked as if to execution; hisses like a snake; clear as day and others. See: Phraseological Dictionary of the Russian Language, Ed. A. I. Molotkova. M., 1967 (corresponding dictionary entries). See also: Makarov M. M. Phraseological phraseology and punctuation, Rus. language at school. 1976. No. 1.

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

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

The design acts as:

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

Difference and other combinations

Comma before "How" is placed in the following cases:

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

2) If the combination is used together with the conjunction “and”. This construction is also called a comparative phrase and acts as a circumstance in a sentence: Peter, like everyone else in the class, treated me well.

Applications

In order to prevent another mistake, it is necessary to decide which member of the sentence the combination we are interested in is and what words it is associated with:

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

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

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

Introductory structures

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

1) The conjunction is combined with the following words: “now”, “now”, “before”, “always”, “usually”, “exception”, “rule”, “on purpose” and others. These combinations act as introductory words that are not any members of the sentence. For example: As if on purpose, they were in no hurry to go home.

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

Comparative phrase and incomplete subordinate clause

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

Connection with the predicate

There are many examples where a comma comes before "How" not put:

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

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

Persistent expressions

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

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

To make the right decision, before "How" whether a comma is needed or not, you need to pay attention to some more nuances. Is there a particle in front of this word? "Not" or these words: “simple”, “exactly”, “exactly”, “absolutely” or "almost". If they are used, then there is no need to put a comma. In this case, such a construction will be called a comparative phrase, and in the sentence it will act as a circumstance. For example: Nikolai always behaved with dignity, he acted exactly like a real man. If the combination means "in role", then the comma is also omitted: He spoke at the meeting as a mathematics teacher. This sentence means that the person acted as a mathematics teacher. In fact, he may not be one.

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

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§ 115. Comparative turns

1. Commas highlight or separate comparative phrases beginning with conjunctions as if, as if, as if, exactly, than, rather than, what etc., for example: Sometimes you shoot a hare, wound him in the leg, and he screams like a child(Chekhov); On Red Square, as if through the fog of centuries, the outlines of walls and towers appear unclear(A N. Tolstoy); There was a smell of musty dampness coming from somewhere, as if from a cellar.(Mamin-Sibiryak); Panteleimon... sits on the box, stretching forward his straight, wooden arms(Chekhov); Ryzhik and the magician entered the forest along a wide, as if swept, path(Svirsky); Better late than never(proverb); It was safer to fly at night than during the day: the air ocean was more stable(Perventsev); ...And her hair[mermaids] green, that's your hemp(Turgenev); Nikolai Petrovich was born in the south of Russia, like his older brother Pavel(Turgenev).

   Note. Comparative phrases with the indicated conjunctions that are part of the predicate or are closely related to it in meaning are not separated by commas, for example: The stars in the dark sky are like sparkles scattered on velvet; He looks at life as if through rose-colored glasses; A mighty oak tree and next to it a white-trunked birch tree are like a warrior in armor and a girl in a wedding dress; A cheerful song is like a winged bird: it flies far, far away; He and I are like brothers(for the absence of a dash in these cases, see § 79, paragraph 1, note, subparagraph 2).

2. Commas highlight or separate comparative phrases beginning with a conjunction How:

   1) if they denote likening, without other shades of meaning ( How has the meaning “like”), for example: And he saw himself rich, as in a dream(Krylov); Around the tall brow, like clouds, the curls turn black(Pushkin); His hands shook like mercury(Gogol); The air is clean and fresh, like a child's kiss...(Lermontov); The first star sparkled brightly in the sky, like a living eye.(Goncharov); Below, like a steel mirror, lakes of jets turn blue(Tyutchev); Like a seagull, the sail there is white in height(Fet); At the very bottom, dry and yellow as copper, lay huge slabs of clay stone(Turgenev); The words dragged on endlessly one after another, like thick saliva.(Saltykov-Shchedrin); The old bridge was broken, and in its place they made a basement, straight as a stick, embankment(L. Tolstoy); The old man cried like a child(Nikitin); Korolev is trying to introduce school discipline and treats students as students of the gymnasium where he was the director(Korolenko); ...They drank grandma's liqueurs - yellow as gold, dark as tar, and green(Bitter); With us, even the most important words become a habit and wear out like a dress...(Mayakovsky); He moved with restraint, like a man who knows how to manage his time well(Fedin); I have carried this memory throughout my entire life, as if through a thousand years.(Prishvin); And the wife is already standing at the door and holding the frying pan at the ready like a gun.(Sholokhov); The steppe stretched into the distance, vast and flat, like the sea(L. Sobolev); There were a lot of people on the street, as if on a holiday(Tikhonov); Lightning bolts fly in the wind like ties(Bagritsky); And they hugged like brothers, father and boy-son(Tvardovsky);

   2) if there is an indicative word in the main part of the sentence so, so, so, so, For example: The coachman was as amazed at his generosity as the Frenchman himself at Dubrovsky’s offer.(Pushkin); Nowhere do people bow as nobly and naturally when they meet each other as on Nevsky Prospekt(Gogol); His facial features were the same as his sister's(L. Tolstoy); Laevsky is certainly harmful and is as dangerous to society as the cholera microbe...(Chekhov); Everything around is somehow churchy, and the smell of oil is as strong as in a church.(Bitter). But: Our group passed all tests ahead of schedule, as well as the parallel(without dismembering the complex union, see § 108);

   3) if the revolution begins with the combination like, For example: To Moscow, as to the whole country, I feel my filial relationship, like to an old nanny(Paustovsky); There was something unusual in her eyes, as well as in her whole face; As at last year’s competitions, athletes from the Russian Federation were ahead;

   4) if the turnover is expressed by a combination as a rule, as an exception, as usual, as always, as before, as now, as now, as if on purpose etc. (some of them are introductory words), for example: I see now the owner himself...(Pushkin); Classes began as usual at nine o'clock in the morning; I remember, as now, my first teacher at school; As if on purpose, there was not a penny in my pocket; As a rule, participial phrases are highlighted with commas.

   Note. The indicated combinations are not separated by commas if they are part of the predicate or are closely related to it in meaning, for example: In autumn and winter, dense fogs in London are common; Yesterday went as usual(i.e. as usual);

   5) in revolutions none other than And nothing more than, For example: In front, the Rhine Falls is nothing more than a low ledge of water(Zhukovsky).

3. Turnovers with the union How are not separated by commas:

   1) if the meaning of the circumstance of the course of action comes to the fore in circulation (to the question how?); Usually such phrases can be replaced by the instrumental case of a noun or an adverb, for example: Buckshot rained down like hail(Lermontov) (cf.: rained down like hail); Dreams disappeared like smoke(Lermontov); Like a demon is insidious and evil(Lermontov) (cf.: demonically insidious); The ring burns like heat(Nekrasov); In anger, he thundered like thunder, flashed like steel; The horse flies like a snowstorm, like a blizzard hurries; Like lightning in the sky they flared, like fiery rain fell from the sky;

   2) if the main meaning of the turnover is equalization or identification, for example: ...You loved me as property, as a source of joys, anxieties and sorrows...(Lermontov) (cf.: ...loved me, considering me his property); …He[Judas] gave his stone as the only thing he could give(Saltykov-Shchedrin);

   3) if union How has the meaning “as” or a turnover with a conjunction How(application) characterizes an object from any one side (see § 93, paragraph 5, note): Rich, good-looking, Lensky was accepted everywhere as a groom(Pushkin); I speak like a writer(Bitter); My ignorance of the language and silence was interpreted as diplomatic silence(Mayakovsky); We know India as a country of ancient culture; The public appreciated the early Chekhov as a subtle humorist; We know Lermontov more as a poet and prose writer and less as a playwright; I will keep this letter as a memory; These ideas are promoted among artists as progressive; Peter I did not consider it shameful to work as a simple carpenter; Yuri Gagarin went down in history as the world's first cosmonaut;

   4) if the phrase forms a nominal part of a compound predicate (about the absence of a dash in these cases, see § 79, paragraph 1, note, paragraph 2) or is closely related in meaning to the predicate (usually in these cases the predicate does not have a complete meaning without a comparative turnover), for example: Some are like emerald, others are like coral(Krylov); She herself walked like wild(Goncharov); Like a child I became a soul(Turgenev); Gamzat left the tent, approached the stirrup of Umma Khan and accepted him as khan(L. Tolstoy); Her father and mother are like strangers to her(Dobrolyubov); I looked fascinated(Arsenyev); Everyone treated Vanya as one of their own(Prishvin); She's like the sun(Seifullina); He talked about familiar things as if they were something extraordinarily interesting.(Paustovsky); Prishvin thought of himself as a poet “crucified on the cross of prose”(Paustovsky); Ice like ice, desert like desert(Kaverin); Everything is as in the pictures: mountains, forest, and water; Everything was as usual, only the clock was standing; His cattle are like ants in an anthill.

   Wed. Also: feel as if in one’s own element, behave as if insane, understand as a hint, perceive as praise, recognize as danger, look at as a child, greet as a friend, evaluate as an achievement, consider as an exception, take for granted, present as a fact, qualify as a violation of the law, note as a great success, interest as a novelty, put forward as a project, justify as a theory, accept as inevitable, develop as a tradition, express as a proposal, interpret as a reluctance to take part, define as a case of a separate application, characterize as a type, stand out as talent, formalize as an official document, be used as a phraseological figure, sound like a call, enter as an integral part, appear as a representative, feel like a foreign body, exist as an independent organization, arise as something unexpected, develop as a progressive idea, carry out as an urgent task and so on.;

   5) if the comparative phrase is preceded by a negative Not or words completely, completely, almost, like, exactly, exactly, directly, simply etc., for example: I cultivated in myself this feeling of holiday not as rest and simply a means for further struggle, but as a desired goal, the completion of the highest creativity of life(Prishvin); It was almost as bright as day; Children sometimes reason just like adults; The girl's hair is curly just like her mother's;

   6) if the turnover has the character of a stable combination, for example: It's like a mountain has been lifted off the lion's shoulders(Krylov); Yes, tell the doctor to bandage his wound and take care of him like the apple of his eye(Pushkin); The young couple were happy, and their life flowed like clockwork(Chekhov).

   Wed. Also: white as a harrier, white as a sheet, white as snow, pale as death, shines like a mirror, the disease vanished as if by hand, feared like fire, wanders like a restless person, rushed like crazy, mumbles like a sexton, ran in like crazy, spins like a squirrel in a wheel , squeals like a pig, I see like in the daytime, everything is as if on selection, jumped up as if stung, looked like a wolf, stupid as a cork, naked like a falcon, hungry like a wolf, as far as the sky from the earth, trembling as if in a fever, trembling like an aspen leaf, he's like water off a duck's back, waiting like manna from heaven, fell asleep like the dead, healthy as an ox, knows like the back of his hand, walks along like a man sewn, rolled like cheese in butter, sways like a drunk, swayed like jelly, red as a lobster, strong like an oak tree, screams like a catechumen, flies like an arrow, beats like Sidorov's goat, bald as a knee, pours like a bucket, waves his arms like a mill, rushes about like a madman, wet like a mouse, gloomy like a cloud, people like herrings in a barrel, not to be seen like your ears, dumb as a grave, running around like crazy, needed like air, stopped dead in your tracks, remained like a stranded lobster, sharp as a razor, different as heaven from earth, turned white as a sheet, repeated as if in delirium, you'll go like a dear, remember what was the name, hit like a butt on the head, looked like two peas in a pod, sank like a stone, loyal like a dog, stuck like a bath leaf, fell through the ground, disappeared as if sank into water, just like a knife to the heart, burned like in fire, dissipated like smoke, grew like mushrooms after rain, fell out of the blue, fresh as blood and milk, fresh as a cucumber, sat as if on needles, sat as if on coals, sat as if chained, listened as if spellbound, watched as enchanted, slept like the dead, slender like a cypress, hard as a stone, dark as night, skinny like a skeleton, cowardly like a hare, died like a hero, fell like a man knocked down, rested like a ram, stubborn like a donkey, tired like a dog, whipped like a bucket, walked like being submerged in water, cold as ice, black as hell, feeling at home, staggering like a drunk, walking as if to execution and so on.

Expressions that are integral in meaning are not separated or set off by commas.

1. A comma is not placed before a subordinating conjunction or allied word as part of indecomposable combinations:

take what they give

take what you like

everything was as it should be

do it as it should (as it should, as it should)

tell it like it really is

God knows what

don't mind giving anything

achieve at any cost

get what you need(But: get everything you need)

live as you know

paid God knows how much

here you can always get what you need

the picture is amazing how good

I'll find something to do (something to do)

don't go where you shouldn't

spend the night wherever you have to

profit from what you can

I will invite anyone I want to my place

come whenever you want

the job is what it takes (but: Re-read what you need and answer)

tell me whatever you want

swears at all costs

do it right (as it should be, as it should be)

save yourself who can

everyone hid somewhere

passion how interesting

grab whatever comes your way

appear as if nothing had happened

Wed. in the language of fiction: And now, out of mercy, a corner has been set aside - and they livewhat the Lord will send(T.); Whatever happens, I’ll see Boris! (Acute); Be happy with whoever you want (Vol.); God knows where we are going (L.T.); ...He never touched a finger, but lived where God will send (Bun.); He'll get there God knows until whatwith your games(Paust.); Finally, someone rushed from the crowd towards the guy and, grabbing him by the shoulders, shouted what was the strength (Grig.); “I’ll treat you!” I’ll treat everyone!” - shouted Ilya Ignatievich whatever there is to eat (Decision); I live wherever I have to (Ch.); They remembered their youth and chatted the devil knows what (Ch.); “Cool old man,” Panteley muttered.— Trouble is so cool!”(Ch.); You'll see enough, you'll hear enough here what not to do (Zh. G.); Kuzma even shrugged his shoulders: God knows what in these steppe heads!(Boon.); We have a grandfather terribly so brave(Paust.); Remained in the buff(Sh.); The headquarters remained as if nothing had happened where he stood (Sim.).

This rule is based on the fact that a phraseological unit does not form a subordinate part of a complex sentence and is usually equivalent to a member of a sentence. So, in combination it says this wherever possible The highlighted words mean 'everywhere'.

If any of the above and similar phrases is not used as a phraseological unit, then it can form a subordinate clause (usually an incomplete sentence) and be separated by commas: Colloquial words began to be usedwhere it is needed and not needed- 'everywhere'; Place it where you need it , missing punctuation marks- ‘where it is needed’.

2. Expressions with the verb want, forming expressions that are integral in meaning, commas are not separated: write as you want (‘write in any way’); over him, commands whoever wants; The only people who don’t drive him are those who don’t want to; come whenever you want; take as much as you want; hang out with whoever you want; Do whatever you want; dispose of it as you wish; write whatever article you want; drink whatever wine you want; marry whoever you want.

But: married whomever he wanted; marry whoever he wants - with the dismembered meaning of verbs forming the predicate of an incomplete sentence.

Wed. in the language of fiction: You think whatever you want(L. T.); It doesn’t matter, call whoever you want (A.T.); " Do what you want“Dubrovsky (P.) answered them dryly; Let him get the moneywhere he wants and how he wants(Cupr.).

3. Inside combinations not that, not that, not so, not otherwise than there is no comma: Now it’s not like earlier, everything became more interesting; Not really I’m very pleased, but I can’t complain; We spent time not so much it's a lot of fun; The note can be typed nothing less than petite.

Wed. in the language of fiction: I... it’s not that I loved him, it’s not that I didn’t like it, because somehow...(T.); Nowadays it’s not like soldier, but I saw peasants(L. T.); At that moment I'm not really chickened out and was a little timid(Cupr.); Chichikov called the police officer no other than dad (G.).

4. Inside combinations (not) more than, (not) less than, (not) earlier than, (not) later than etc., if they do not contain comparison, a comma is not placed: You were more than to me friend; To the tests he more than ready; He was more than artist - he was a poet; Product output increased more than doubled; The parcel weighs not more than eight kilograms(cf.: ...no more than eight kilograms); All this is nothing more than idle dreams; The calculations turned out to be more than approximate; This nothing more than slander; The job can be done less than in an hour; Mission completed less than one third; With your musical abilities you have to think not less than about the conservatory; Overhead costs turned out to be higher than expected; He will return not earlier than in the evening (cf.: ...not until evening); Submit your documents not later than Tomorrow; Incubator temperature no lower than need to; Maslenitsa passed me worse than sad (Ch.).

But (if there is a comparison or comparison): It works no less than others; There were guestsless than expected; Suffered from the coldmore than hunger; More than physical pain, he suffered from the thought that he was now disabled(Gas.); More than anything else, the patient needs rest; Sipyagin was much worriedmore than his guest(T.); Came back earlier than expected; This room higher than the neighboring one; He will return no later than circumstances require it.

5. Inside combinations unknown who (what); unknown which (where, how, whither, from, whose); it is unclear who (what); it is unclear which (where, how, where, from, whose); no matter who (what); it doesn’t matter which (where, how, where, from, whose); no matter who (what); no matter what (where, how, where, from, whose) no comma: arrived no one knows why; asked me something unclear; pass it on no matter who; accommodate visitors no matter where. Wed: The old man saw a short gelding in the morning and began to tan: without a tail no matter what without a head - disgusting to look at(A.T.).

Note. Depending on the context, different punctuation is possible when using the above words; compare: Unknown when he will come - the word unknown has a subordinate clause; There are no spare parts, andunknown when there will be an incomplete sentence in the subordinate clause; He'll come back, but unknown when- in the subordinate part there is a sentence consisting of one allied word; He will return unknown when- whole expression; He will return, but it is unknown when - there is a dash after the previous explanatory clause. [Cm. § 38. ]

6. Before the combination of interrogative-relative pronoun who, what, which, etc. or adverbs where, where, where etc. with words like anything and everything, a comma is not placed, since in these cases complete expressions with the meaning of the word or phrase are formed: anyone ('any'), anything ('all'), whatever ('any'), anywhere ('everywhere'), anywhere ('everywhere'), whenever ('always'), from anywhere ('from everywhere'), as much as you like ('a lot'), etc.; whoever (‘it doesn’t matter who’), whoever (‘it doesn’t matter how’), whichever (‘it doesn’t matter which’), etc. For example: It can do anyone ; He left homewhen, where and for as long as you want; He came and took whatever he could get; They dug anywhere.

Wed. in the language of fiction: Give me the answer whatever and whenever(T.); I ready wait as much as you like(T.); ...Everyone lends me money as much as you like (G.); You will find this anywhere (Trif.); Grandfather was so angry that he stopped ten times and spat with rage. anywhere (Cat.); Scolding the careless carters who dumped the firewood anyhow... Grandma started stacking the woodpile(Guide.).

The same with combinations as many as you like and as much as you like: On people like Bazarov can be indignantas much as your heart desires,but recognizing their sincerity is absolutely necessary(D.P.); Well guys, get warm now as much as it fits (Ver.).

But with a loss of phraseological integrity. ...I could sing as much as I wanted then.

7. Inside expressions like there is something to do, there is something to work on, there was something to think about, I’ll find somewhere to turn, I can’t find anything to say, I have nothing left to live on, consisting of the verb to be, or to find (to be found), or to remain and an interrogative relative pronoun or adverb ( who, what, where, where, when etc.) and the indefinite form of another verb, no comma is used: Do you have anything in the world to forget?(L.); There is someone to scold, no one to feed(Dahl); There is something to like (Peace); And our intelligentsia has something to love, something to respect(M.G.); There is something to think about; We found something to surprise you with; I couldn't find anything to say; We will have something to trump; I found a place to be fashionable; There is time to chat with you!; There was reason to be depressed; Friends have a lot to talk about; The guys had a place to spend their free time; We had something to reproach him for .

8. Combinations whoever is, whatever is, whatever is etc. are not separated by commas: You will willingly allow whoever... I personally corrected the symmetry in your face(S.‑Sh.); It was the best thing ever ordinary woman(Er.); ...I’d rather see how you work—that’s all I will take over whatever experience I have (E.M.).

9. Before the conjunction that in the expression only and...that, followed by a noun or pronoun, a comma is not placed: The only money is a nickel in your pocket; The only thing is that the shirt is on the body; The only entertainment is a movie once a week; There is only light in the window; There's only talk about the two of them.

But if a construction containing in the first part a complex particle only and, verb do (do, know) and the conjunction that has a verb in the second part, then a comma is placed before that: They are with grandfather that's all they did played chess (Usp.); From nine in the morning to six in the eveningall you know is that sticking around here (Kupr.); All he does is chatting; All I did was refused; All he knows is that walks from corner to corner. The placement of a comma in such a sentence is explained by the fact that it is complex: the second part with the conjunction that shows that someone’s activity is limited, and the complex particle only in the first part indicates this limitation.

The same if the second part is a subordinate part of a complex sentence: That's all that's new the hares are conferring how can they drive away the eagles?(L.T.).

For more details, see: Popov A. S. Pseudo-subordinate clauses and punctuation practice in modern Russian // Modern Russian punctuation. M., 1979.

Expressions that are integral in meaning are not distinguished by punctuation marks.

1. A comma is not placed before a subordinating conjunction or allied word in indecomposable combinations, For example: do it right (as it should be, as it should be), do it as it should (as needed, as needed) grab whatever comes your way, show up as if nothing had happened, say whatever comes into your mind, achieve at any cost, come whenever you want, hide somewhere, don’t go where you shouldn’t, spend the night wherever you have to, do what you want, take whatever you like, save yourself whoever can, eat what they give, come what may, go wherever your eyes lead you, live as you wish, I’ll invite whoever I want to join me, paid God knows how much, screams at the top of his lungs, tell it like it is, they made up whatever they can , get what you need (But: get everything you need ),God knows what's going on with them, they're throwing up God knows what, they can profit from whatever they can, they don't mind giving what they can, the picture is wonderfully good, the passion is so interesting, the horror is so difficult, the trouble is so bad. Wed: You What Want think(L. Tolstoy); Be happy with whomever you want (Dostoevsky); Doesn't matter, call whoever you want (A.N. Tolstoy); Let him get the money Where wants and how he wants (Kuprin); I'm in a hurry what to eat... (Chekhov); I live wherever necessary (aka); When he's sober he lies on anything and is silent(aka); They remembered their youth and chatted God knows what (aka); He'll get there God knows until what with your games(Paustovsky); You'll see enough, you'll hear enough here what not to do (Bitter); For some reason I can't do them properly consider(B. Polevoy); So, talk with whom it is necessary (Selvinsky).

This rule is based on the fact that phraseological units do not form a subordinate clause and, as a rule, are equivalent to a member of a sentence. Yes, in combination talks about it wherever he can last words matter "everywhere" . If any of the above and similar combinations are used not as a phraseological phrase, then it can form a subordinate clause (often incomplete) and set off with commas. Wed: Colloquial words began to be used where it is needed and where it is not needed (i.e. everywhere). – Put where needed missing punctuation marks(those. where needed).

2. Commas are not placed inside combinations not that, not that, not so, not otherwise than, For example : I him... not really I loved, not really I didn’t like it, because somehow...(Turgenev); AND Not That What three days, and wait ten days!(L. Tolstoy); Here now Not then what earlier, everything became more interesting; We spent time not so much it's a lot of fun; The note can be typed nothing less than petit. Wed. with a different nature of the combination: You speak not that think.

3. Commas are not placed inside combinations (not) more than, (not) less than, (not) earlier than, (not) later than and so on., if they do not contain comparison, For example: The parcel weighs not more than eight kilograms(cf.: ...no more than eight kilograms); He will return Not earlier than In the evening(cf.: ...not until evening); The job can be done less than in an hour; You were there for me more than friend; Submit your documents not later than Tomorrow; Overhead costs turned out to be higher than relies; Incubator temperature no lower than need to. Wed: Maslenitsa passed me worse how sad(Chekhov); But (if there is a comparison or comparison): doesn't work less than other; suffered from the cold more than from hunger; back earlier than expected; our ceilings are higher than those in the neighboring house; Sipyagin was much worried more than his guest(Turgenev).

4. The comma is not placed inside the combination unknown who, unknown what, unknown which (...where, ...where, ...from where, ...whose), unknown who, unknown what, unknown which (...where, ...where, . ..from where, ...whose), no matter who, no matter what, no matter what (...where, ...where, ...from), For example: came to us unknown where from , asked me it's not clear what we're talking about, accommodate visitors no matter where. Wed. Also: I can take a vacation no matter when ; appeared it's unclear why; So choose a dress or Not I know which one purchase, not love(L. Tolstoy); The old man saw a short gelding in the morning and began to tan: without a tail no matter what Headless- disgusting to look at (A.N. Tolstoy).

5. A comma is not placed before a combination of interrogative-relative pronouns who, what, which etc. or adverbs where, where, where etc. with words anything and everything , since in these cases whole expressions are formed with the meaning of one word: anyone (any), anything (everything), any (everyone), anywhere (everywhere), anywhere (everywhere), whenever (always), from anywhere (everywhere), as much as (many) ) etc.; whoever (it doesn’t matter who), whoever (it doesn’t matter how), whichever (it doesn’t matter which) etc. For example: I'll say the same thing anyone; We had free time as much as you like; Give me an answer any And whenever (Turgenev); Grandfather was torn by such anger that he stopped ten times and spat with rage anywhere (Kataev); Scolding the careless carters who dumped the firewood anyhow..., the grandmother began to stack the woodpile(Gaidar).

6. Expressions like this are not separated by commas there is something to do, there is something to work on, there was something to think about, I’ll find somewhere to turn, I can’t find anything to say, I have nothing left to live on and so on., consisting of a verb to be, to find (to be found), to stay and a few others in singular or plural form, interrogative-relative pronoun or adverb (who, what, where, where, when and so on.) and uncertainforms of another verb. For example:

Scold is there anyone, feed- no one(Dahl); There is something to do and like...(Pisemsky); Found how surprise: they saw it all without you; He couldn't find what answer and remained silent.

7. The comma is not placed before the conjunction What in expression only So what, followed by a noun or pronoun, for example: Only And money What a nickel in your pocket; Only And entertainment What cinema once a week; Only And conversations What about the two of them. But if a construction containing a complex particle in the first part only and verb do (do, know) and union What, has a verb in the second part, then before What a comma is placed For example: Only and does , What chatting; Only and did , What refused; Only and knows , What walks from corner to corner. Wed: They are with grandfather that's all did , What played chess(Ch. Uspensky); And he turned to the priest, yes that's all did everything , What spat in his face(Leskov); From nine in the morning to six in the evening that's all You know , What you're stuck here(Kuprin). The same if the second part is formed by a subordinate clause, for example: Only and new , What all the hares are conferring on how to drive away the eagles(L. Tolstoy).

Note.Incomplete subordinate clauses, as well as phrases that do not have the nature of phraseological combinations, are separated by commas, For example: behave as one should; works wherever necessary; does whatever the boss wants; understand what's what; visits the sick when necessary; one must distinguish between what is important and what is unimportant; I can't figure out where it hurts.