What does the sign at the end of a sentence mean. Punctuation marks at the end of a sentence. The main meanings of the exclamation mark

Exclamation, surprise, joy are associations subconsciously evoked. It is one of the most respected. Information about its use in grammar has been found since the sixteenth century. At the time, the exclamation point was called awesome. According to one version, it comes from the Latin word "Io", meaning joy. To simplify writing in the future, the letter I was placed above o, which eventually gave the sign "!".

The first rules for its use in writing were determined by M.V. Lomonosov in the eighteenth century.

Surprisingly, until the 70s of the last century, the exclamation mark was absent on ordinary typewriters. In order to display it on paper, they first printed a dot and only after that - a superscript comma (the so-called apostrophe), having previously returned to the place of the dot.

Main application in Russian

There are certain spelling rules that apply to this sign:

1. An exclamation point ends exclamatory sentences.
2. It is used at the end of declarative, motivating, interrogative sentences of an exclamatory nature. Helps to show emotional formulas denoting greeting, farewell, address, gratitude, etc.
3. Placed at the end of "rhetorical" sentences containing a question. These sentences may imply a more emotional narrative.
4. Can be used in sentences instead of a comma for emotional appeal.
5. After the words "yes" and "no", an exclamation mark is used to express strong feelings.
6. It is used in situations where the sentence is both exclamatory and interrogative at the same time, which is indicated in writing by two signs - ?! (but not vice versa).

Another use of the exclamation mark

Break in the indicator circuit;

Violation of tightness in the vacuum brake booster;

Applying the parking brake.

In any case, when an exclamation point is used, we always feel an increase in attention. After all, this symbol really means the importance of what is happening in this situation.

In all languages ​​of the world there are special sentences - exclamations. Usually they are used to express strong emotions, such as delight, surprise, anger, and others. Examples of exclamatory sentences are often found in fiction, poetry, letters and diaries. It is almost impossible to find them in scientific texts. There are no examples of exclamatory sentences in them. Scientific articles are written in a neutral emotional style.

Types of exclamatory sentences

Exclamation and ellipsis

There are other combinations of signs at the end of sentences. For example, in the literature, some authors use both exclamation and ellipsis. Such phrases should prompt the reader to deep reflection; in essence, such sentences are extremely similar to rhetorical questions with an exclamation. “And then she appeared at the door! .. Captivated by her beauty, her face lit up with a smile, and the whole world around sparkled with both joy and happiness! ..”

Incentive exclamatory sentence

The use case in the work is very interesting. Such phrases differ from others in that they have practically no emotional connotation, but contain an order, request, invitation, greeting or offer. Usually these sentences do not have subjects. Intonally similar constructions do not have to be pronounced with pronounced emotions. However, a sign at the end of a request or command indicates that it is an exclamatory sentence. Examples in Russian of such constructions are quite common. They are present in the dialogues of the heroes of works of art.

Order in an exclamatory sentence

In some constructions, punctuation marks are determined not by the emotional coloring of the statement, but by historical traditions. Therefore, in the case when the author of a work of art uses an order, he draws up a sentence with an exclamation mark. Examples of such phrases can be spoken in a calm tone and even in a whisper, but the use of an exclamation mark is necessary here. "To stand! - Petrovich ordered in a whisper to the captured Fritz walking in front of him. - Don't turn around! Even if the order is given in a calm, even tone, an exclamation mark must be placed at the end of the phrase. For example, “Squad, equal, at attention!” or “Get up, the court is coming!”

request and suggestion

Traditions explain some more features of punctuation in Russian. For example, an exclamation point at the end of a phrase adds a special emotional connotation to a request.

Invitation and appeal in an exclamatory sentence

There is another rule of punctuation. It dictates that often an exclamation mark is placed at the end of the invitation. This fact is a sign of elementary politeness, a culture of written communication. Therefore, when reading the context with an invitation, for example, to a wedding or a picnic, you should not use the intonation of an exclamation at all.

1. "Natalya Pavlovna! Georgy Matveevich! Come to the evening dedicated to the celebration of our silver wedding at the Kosmos restaurant!”
2. “Dear high school students! Come October 23 to " autumn Ball", which will be held in assembly hall schools!

Greetings and wishes in an exclamatory sentence

The rules for writing letters are very important for both ordinary people and for authors of works of art. To deal with punctuation at the end of sentences, you should pay attention to one interesting feature: very often a greeting or wish is expressed in the form of the imperative mood verb. These are the words "hello!", "be healthy!" Therefore, these proposals are perceived as a request, at the end of which an exclamation point is also historically placed. Often, a farewell is written in a letter in a similar way. For example, "Goodbye, my dears!" or "Good night, dear friend! I wish you sweet dreams!"

Exclamatory sentences in Russian serve to enhance the emotionality of texts, messages, comments. Since it is possible to give intonational coloring to the statements of characters in works of art only with the help of punctuation marks, the authors have no choice but to use exclamation marks, question marks and their combinations.

The point is set:

• at the end of a completed declarative sentence: It was a sunny day.

The point can be placed:

• at the end of the incentive sentence, if it is pronounced without an exclamation (Well, go.);
• before unions and, but, but, however, etc., if they begin a new sentence, i.e., the previous sentence is intonation complete (compare: The downpour continued for several hours. Butthe sun is shining again. - Showerwent on for several hours, butthe sun shone again);
• at the end of a sentence that introduces a further detailed presentation, for example: This is what happened yesterday morning (followed by an extendednarration).

The question mark is placed:

• at the end of a simple interrogative sentence ( Aren't you ashamed?);
• in the end compound sentence, if the question is contained in both its parts ( Are you going or should I go alone?) or in one ( He came himself, but where is Natasha?);
• at the end of a complex sentence, if the question is contained in the main clause ( Really it is not clear that the problem is solved correctly?);
• at the end of a non-union sentence, if the last part of it contains a direct question (compare: There's only one thing I don't understand: how could she bite you? - How could she bite you - I don't understand).

An exclamation point is placed at the end of an exclamatory sentence ( Oh what a girl she was!).

Since sentences pronounced with increased emotionality become exclamatory, then, depending on

hue of meaning and from intonation, double punctuation is possible ( What kind of person? - What a man!).

When question and exclamation are equal, there is a combination of two signs - question mark and exclamation point ( What is it?).

An ellipsis is placed to indicate the incompleteness of the statement caused by various reasons, to indicate breaks in speech, an unexpected transition from one thought to another, etc. ( Listen, let me go...). An ellipsis is also placed at the end of a quotation, when the quoted sentence is not given to the end, for example: “ The primary element of literature, - Gorky pointed out, - is language ...”.

A period is placed at the end of a completed declarative sentence.

• The moon looks from the middle of the sky.
• The wind became cold.
• A lead cloud crawls towards the sun.
• Distant rumbles of thunder are heard.
• A warm wind blows across the grass.
• The room is completely dark.
• The moon hid behind the forest.
• The grove sleeps over the dark river.
• We went to the forest and wandered there for a long time.
• All around the water sparkled, along which ripples were barely noticeable.
• Dawn was damp and cold.
• Lightning flashes menacingly in the sky, thunder rumbles.
• The children were drinking tea in the kitchen, the adults were arguing about something, sitting at the table in the living room.
• My eyes darkened, my head swam.
• The day before, a little snow fell, it froze.
• What is written with a pen cannot be cut down with an ax.
• What makes me uncomfortable, makes him happy.
• What goes around comes around.
• That you are not to blame, I have long and well known.
• Autumn has come, and the cranes have moved south.
• The sky was overcast again, and it started to rain.
• The air breathes with autumn light, and all nature comes to life.
• It became completely dark, and the street gradually became empty.
• I didn't send him a letter, and he didn't write to me.
• My mother decided not to go anywhere, and I didn’t want to either.

At the end of the incentive sentence, if it is pronounced without an exclamation, a period may be placed.

• Grandpa, you should get better.
• Let me come again.
• You don't teach me.
• Do not lean out the windows on the way.
• Do not lean against this door.
• You should go south, for example, to Sochi.
• Oh, to rest for two hours.
• Send this loafer out of sight, to the village to his grandmother.
• Exactly at one o'clock the guys should all be in the wasteland behind the school, in the thickets.
• So, now go quickly and quietly, without looking around.
• In short, children, by the evening change your clothes, comb your hair, wash your face and sit decorously, as at a party.
• Let the sorcerers fail to fool the faithful.
• If only we could wait for the summer.
• I would fly like a free bird from all of you, from your sleepy faces, from conversations.
• Move to a new apartment soon.
• Everyone should read this book.
• Of course, I would tell him right away: "Don't rely on me."

A period is placed before unions if they begin a new sentence.

• The program is huge. And quite real.
• At every corner there are lanterns and they burn with full heat. And the windows are lit.
• Lost, apparently, a man. And to stray now in the taiga is a disastrous thing ...
• It would be easier for me if he began to scold me. But he was silent and silent.
• Waiting for a snowy winter. And they didn't guess.
• Osip hoped for the good-heartedness of the master. However, he miscalculated.
• Both had a favorite place in the garden: a bench under an old wide maple. And now sit down on this bench.
• A thunderstorm raged over the deserted city. But then the thunder began to subside.
• This job requires the utmost attention. And patience.
• Mom was determined to follow the diet. However, it only lasted two days.
• The girl suddenly laughed. And the boy smiled.
• We agreed to meet in the afternoon. But we met only late in the evening.
• He doesn't hear me. And I can't hear him.
• There was a voice. Or did I just think so?

A period is placed at the end of a sentence that introduces a further detailed presentation.

• The father said the following. A small dog suddenly jumped out into the road in front of the car, wet and miserable. The driver abruptly applied the brake, the car spun on the wet pavement and almost fell into a ditch. Fortunately, everything worked out.
• Here's how it happened. The dog chased the kitten and overturned the wobbly table. Grandmother's glasses, which were lying on the table, fell to the floor, one glass cracked, the arm broke off.
• I'll probably do it this way. I will carefully dig out this rose bush and transplant it under the very window. And then the bedroom will smell like roses in the morning.
• Having recovered his breath a little, Petya told the following. The boat with the guys capsized in the middle of the river. The children swam to the shore, and the boat was carried away by the current.
• Imagine such a picture. Anton runs into the room, accompanied by a huge shaggy watchdog. He twists and jumps, trying to lick the boy in the face. Anton pushes the dog away, falls to the floor and bursts into a loud roar.
• That's what happened to us this morning. A tit flew into the open window, darted around the room, and then began to beat against the window glass. Petya rushed to save her, stumbled and broke his knee.

A question mark is placed at the end of a simple sentence containing a question.

• Who was knocking?
• What are you writing?
• Do Russians want wars?
• How is your health?
• What can a brief meeting bring me as consolation?
• Maybe there is trouble with Terkin?
• Do you know Ukrainian night?
• Have you ever gotten lost in the woods?
• Where am I to go now?
• How can I see Pyotr Petrovich?
• What time is it now?
• What time are you coming?
• What is today's date?
• How mach is this book?
• Where did you come from, Fedor?

A question mark is placed at the end of a compound sentence if the question is contained in one or both of its parts. It should be remembered that if both sentences contain a question and are connected by connecting or separating unions, a comma is not placed between them.

• Did her heart suffer for a long time, or did the time for tears soon pass?
• Where have you been and who allowed you to come home so late?
• Where is he going and when will he be back?
• What time will we meet and where will you be waiting for me?
• How did the dog get in here, and why wasn't the door closed?
• Why did you say that and what should we do now?
• Will he be able to handle it or should we do it ourselves?
• Masha will come to us or should we go to her?
• Are you gonna call the store or should I go there?
• Will Anton wash the dishes or should I ask Katya?
• Will you buy bread or send Dima to the store?
• You will get tired of living with them, and in whom can you not find spots?
• The book is so thick, and how much have you already read?
• Did someone's footsteps sound, or did it just seem to me?
• I blame you, but will you ever forgive me?
• It's already April, but when will it finally get warmer?
• The room is very big, but will your husband like it?

A question mark is placed at the end of a complex sentence if the question is contained in the main clause.

• Did any of you understand what they were arguing about?
• Do you have any idea how long it will take to complete this work?
• Does anyone know how his life will turn out?
• Don't you remember how he ended up in the attic?
• Is it hard to understand that children should not listen to such talk?
• Does anyone of you know what is the best way to get to the church?
• Didn't the children know whose books were on the table?
• And for whom can I take you after you refused to help me destroy the traitor?
• Weren't you scared when smoke came out the window?
• Were you offended that your work was not appreciated?
• Isn't it strange that you don't remember me at all?
• Isn't it surprising how Oleg reacted to my request?

A question mark is placed at the end of a non-union complex sentence if its last part contains a direct question.

• Praises are tempting - how not to wish for them?
• I walked and thought: what would all this mean?
• He constantly asked himself: why, why such torment?
• And I was driving just now, talking to you and thinking: why don't they shoot?
• He looked in amazement at an old house: Did he live here once?
• Sometimes I think: was it necessary to insist so stubbornly on my own?
• Here's what I can't understand: how could this happen?
• I lie and think: how will we get out of this scrape?
• And here's what I'm afraid of: well, how will the beast sneak up unnoticed?
• I am sad: where is my dear friend?
• He became worried: how can you shoot an unarmed person?
• I don't feel like sleeping at all: is it already a quarter to two?
• Seryozhka said nothing: why verbal oaths and assurances?
• Sasha was afraid to approach the cliff: what if you slip?
• No one even thought of going to bed: how to miss such a spectacle?

An exclamation point is placed at the end of an exclamatory (pronounced with increased emotionality) sentence.

• Oh, you don't know the Ukrainian night!
• Divine Night!
• Charming night!
• And what a sparkling distance!
• What a beautiful and smart dog!
• Yes, this is a thunderstorm so a thunderstorm!
• What a wonderful man my father is!
• Oh, how pale you are!
• Get up! Get in your room!
• - Hold on! groaned the old man, pushing the launch away from the shore.
• I don't want to hear that kind of talk anymore!
• Listen everyone! Emergency!
• Here is my crown, the crown of shame!
• How brightly the sun shines and how the birds sing!
• What a beautiful cat and what a white chest he has!
• What a beautiful forest and how quiet everything is around!
• How pleasant it is to walk in the garden in the evening and how wonderfully the jasmine smells!
• What a summer it was then and how we loved each other!
• How quiet the evening and how quiet the river!
• What I don't know, I don't want to know!
• What happened between us, you can't bring it back!

An ellipsis is placed at the end of a sentence to indicate the incompleteness of the statement.

• Ah, so you ... - I sang the whole summer without a soul.
• - And besides ... - I thought, - and besides ...
• In the department... But it's better not to say in which department.
• Perhaps I ... No, it's better for me to remain silent.
• The exhibition features over 50 works by Renoir, Gauguin, Degas, Cezanne, Monet...
• Dubrovsky was silent... Suddenly he raised his head...
• Festivals... Competitions... Concerts...
• Mountains, forests, expanses - there is no end to the edge ...
• I haven't been in this sort of thing...
• I'll be lost...
• What a wonderful morning: and dew, and mushrooms, and birds ...
• The moon shines calmly from a height above the White Church ...
• I can't stand... my knees are getting weak... stuffy...
• His wife ... However, they were completely pleased with each other.
• Friend Mozart, these tears...
• In the evening, the hunter Yermolai and I went on a "draught" ...

An ellipsis is placed at the end of a quotation when the quoted sentence is not completed to the end.

• Gorky wrote that "Rudin is both Bakunin, and Herzen, and partly Turgenev himself..."
• Gogol wrote about Pushkin as follows: "When the name of Pushkin is mentioned, the thought of a Russian national poet immediately dawns..."
• "There is no doubt," Turgenev said of Pushkin, "that he created our poetic, our literary language..."
• I.S. Turgenev said: "There is no happiness outside the homeland..."
• Chernyshevsky wrote that "art only reminds us with its works of what is interesting for us in life..."
• "In Onegin, all parts are organically articulated ..." Belinsky wrote.
• Speaking in defense of oral speech, A.P. Chekhov wrote: "In fact, for an intelligent person, speaking badly should be considered as indecent as not being able to read and write..."
• M.V. Lomonosov wrote that "the beauty, splendor, strength and richness of the Russian language is evident enough from books..."
• "One must be able to use words that most subtly express thoughts ..." - wrote A.A. Fadeev.
• "... Flexible, rich, and for all its imperfections, the language of every people is beautiful ..." - wrote N.G. Chernyshevsky

§ 1.1

Dot placed at the end of a complete declarative sentence: A dark lead mass is crawling towards the sun. Lightning flickers here and there in red zigzags on it. Distant rumbles of thunder are heard. A warm wind walks on the grass, bends trees and raises dust. Now the May rain will splatter and a real thunderstorm will begin.(Ch.).

§ 1.2

Dot is placed after short sentences that paint a single picture to make the presentation more expressive: Late. The wind became cold. It's dark in the valley. The grove sleeps over the foggy river. The moon hid behind the mountain.(P.)

§ 1.3

Dot is placed at the end of nominative (nominative) sentences that do not contain either a question or an exclamation: Field. Gardens. Apiary. Milk's farm. Aviary. orchard. Forest. Two tractors. Workshops. And it's all in brilliant condition.(Cat.)

§ 1.4

Dot is placed after the first part of the so-called segmented constructions, or "double designation" constructions, consisting of two parts. The first part (segment, i.e., segment), located at the beginning of a sentence or text and expressed, as a rule, by the form of the nominative case of a noun or a phrase headed by this form (nominative topic, or nominative representation), names a person, object, phenomenon , which in the second part (in the following text) receives another designation in the form of a pronoun: Land. No one will touch her ... Just cling to her tighter.(Sim.); Labor productivity. How to raise it?(gas.)

§ 1.5

Dot is placed after a separating pause before the connecting structures, which, with a different punctuation, would play the role of members of the sentence (the so-called parceling, i.e. division): In any case, contact me. Any minute.(Chuck.); Mitrofanov chuckled and stirred the coffee. Narrowed his eyes.(N.I.); Three young watch factory workers ran to the editorial office after work. Excited. Alarmed.(Nar.); The world has become different. A year older.(gas.); The program is huge. And quite real.(gas.)

§ 1.6

Dot is placed at the end of the incentive sentence if it is pronounced without an exclamation: You would like to heal.(M.G.); Let me read another time.(Bl.); You don't teach me.(Good)

§ 1.7

Dot placed before unions and, but, but, however etc., if they start a new sentence: At every corner there are lanterns and they burn with full heat. And the windows are lit.(Sim.); Lost, apparently, a man. And to stray now in the taiga is a disastrous thing: neither the moon nor the stars are visible.(Mark.); It would be easier for me if he began to scold me. But he was silent and silent.(Kav.)

§ 1.8

Dot is placed at the end of the headings of the enumeration, if the numbers or letters with which the headings are indicated have a dot:

§ 83. Are written together:

1. Adverbs formed by combining prepositions with adverbs ... hardly for free.<…>

2. Adverbs formed by combining the prepositions in and on with collective numbers ... three, but: two, three.

3. Adverbs formed by combining prepositions with short adjectives ... slowly, furiously.(Rules of Russian spelling and punctuation.)

§ 1.9

Dot is placed at the end of a sentence that introduces a further detailed presentation: Here is the story.(Paust.) [the story follows]; Imagine the following.[further - detailed narration]; The new machine has such a device.[further - lengthy description].

§ 2. Question mark

§ 2.1

Question mark is placed at the end of a simple sentence containing a direct question: Where did you come from, Andrew?(Hump.); Do you love oranges?(Sim.)

§ 2.2

Interrogative there may be nominative (naming) sentences: Fire? (Skin)

§ 2.3

Question mark is placed at the end of a complex sentence, if all the parts that make up its composition, or only the last one, contain a question: Did her heart suffer for a long time, or did the time for tears soon pass?(P.); You will get tired of living with them, and in whom can you not find spots?(Gr.)

§ 2.4

Question mark is placed at the end of a complex sentence if the question is contained in both the main and subordinate parts of the sentence or only in the main or subordinate clause: Do you know what sisters of mercy are?(Sharp); Any kind of violations, evasions, deviations from the rules led him to despair, although, it would seem, what did he care?(Ch.)

§ 2.5

Question mark is placed at the end of a non-union complex sentence if the parts forming it are interrogative sentences (between them commas) or only the last part contains a direct question (it is preceded colon or dash, depending on the semantic relationship between the parts of the sentence): Who is jumping, who is hovering under the cold haze?(Bug.); And I was driving just now, talking to you and thinking: why don't they shoot?(Sim.); Praises are tempting - how not to wish for them?(Cr.)

§ 2.6

Question mark in brackets is placed to express doubt or bewilderment of the writer, most often within the quoted text: “... Already cheerful and noisy with wine, already melodious (?) And bright (!) Were sitting in circles at the table.” What a strange set of words!(Bel.)

§ 2.7

For a combination of question and exclamation marks, see § 3, paragraph 7.

§ 3. Exclamation mark

§ 3.1

Exclamation point placed at the end of an exclamatory sentence: Hey, it's a thunderstorm! (T.); Happy way!(Skin)

§ 3.2

Always are exclamatory sentences containing words what, how, what etc.: What a wonderful person my friend is!(T.); How pale you are!(P.); How extraordinary was this girl on the truck!(F.)

§ 3.3

Exclamation point is placed at the end of incentive sentences in which an order, a demand, expressed in the form of the imperative mood of the verb, is emotionally colored: Get up! Get out of here!(Ch.); "Hold!" - moaned the old man, pushing the longboat away from the shore(Sh.).

§ 3.4

Exclamation point is placed at the end of incentive sentences that are not expressed in the form of the imperative mood of the verb: Phones! Quickly!(Sim.); The officer threw the paper on the table. "Subscribe!"(M.G.); I don't want to hear that kind of talk again!

§ 3.5

Exclamation point is placed at the end of a nominative (nominative) sentence if it is pronounced with an exclamatory intonation: Emergency! (G.); Here is my crown, the crown of shame!(P.)

§ 3.6

Exclamation point is placed at the end of a word-address, interjection sentence or sentence-address, if it is pronounced with an exclamatory intonation: Still would! (T.); Right! Right!(Sun. Iv.); No no!(Crimea.); "Sabbat!" - someone shouted in an angry and torn voice(M.G.); Sonya (in a tone of reproach): Uncle! (Ch.)

§ 3.7

Exclamation point in brackets is placed to express the author's attitude to someone else's text (consent, approval or irony, indignation): “Our observations have been carried out over a number of years, the conclusions have been confirmed by numerous experiments (!), the main provisions have been discussed at various meetings,” one can fully agree with these words of the author of the new study.(See also § 2, paragraph 6.) To enhance the function of the exclamation (question) mark, when expressing the attitude of the writer to someone else's text, a combination of both signs in brackets occurs: ... Notorious ... William Buckley, whom The New York Times called "a fierce supporter of conservative positions", published ... a eulogy under the dashing headline: "The neutron bomb is a unique anti-war (?!) weapon"(gas.).

§ 4. Ellipsis

§ 4.1

ellipsis is put to indicate the incompleteness of the statement caused by various reasons (the speaker's excitement, external interference, etc.): Ah, so you ... - I sang the whole summer without a soul(Cr.); “And you are not afraid…” - “What am I not afraid of?” - "... make a mistake?"; “And besides…” I thought, “and besides…”

§ 4.2

ellipsis placed to indicate breaks in speech, for hitches: In the department ... but it is better not to name in which department (G.); "Ah ... ah ... ah, how could it be otherwise," he stuttered(cf.: "Ah-ah-ah," he said drawlingly and understandingly.).

§ 4.3

ellipsis is placed at the end of a sentence to indicate that the enumeration given could be continued: Over 50 works by Picasso, Renoir, Gauguin, Degas, Bernard, Modigliani, Cezanne, Monet…(gas.)

§ 4.4

ellipsis is put to indicate an unexpected transition from one thought to another: Dubrovsky was silent... Suddenly he raised his head, his eyes sparkled, he stamped his foot, pushed the secretary away...(P.)

§ 4.5

ellipsis at the beginning of the text indicates that the narrative, interrupted by some insertion, continues or that a lot of time has passed between the events described in the previous text and in this one: ... Now let's go back to the beginning of this story, which lasted twenty years.

§ 4.6

An ellipsis is placed when listing words with undisclosed content: Festivals… Competitions… Concerts…(name of a heading in a newspaper).

§ 4.7

For ellipsis in quotations, see § 55.

§ 4.8

On the combination of an ellipsis with a question or exclamation point, see § 68, paragraph 1.