Before "or" comma. Comma before the union "or"

Is there a comma before "or"? The answer to this question is found in the materials of this article. In addition, you will learn about whether to put commas before "what" and "how."

general information

Surely you know that the union is the official part of speech. Thanks to it the connection between separate sentences in the text, its parts or words is made out. However, not everyone knows when a comma is put before them, and when not. In order to master this information, we present to your attention a few basic rules.

When is a comma before the "or", and when not?

The union "or" is a separative alliance. Sometimes a comma is placed before it, and sometimes it does not. Let's consider both cases in more detail:

1. Before "or" a comma is placed if the given union is repeatedly repeated in simple sentences that combine into one complex one. Let's give an example: "Either he or I!", "Or black, or white, or red," "Or the disease will kill me, or the frost will ooze, or something will fly in my forehead." It should also be noted that this rule applies not only to the proposal with "or ... or". The commas are also placed with such unions as "and", "il", "neither", etc. For example: "And the head is spinning, and it makes me sick, and my body aches too much," "I can not see the sun, no clouds, no light Day ".
2. Before "or" a comma is placed if this union is used in a complex sentence where two or more simple sentences are associated. Let's give an example: "Or you are tired because of a storm outside the window, or doze off from day fatigue," "Let her move to the village, or I'll move here." It should also be noted that similar unions are subject to such unions as "and", "yes", "a", "yes", "either", etc. For example: "The sea was noisy, and the waves were furious against the shore" "The woodpecker stopped knocking, and other birds fell silent," "Mom sat down at the gate to the bench, and I went to the store."
3. A comma before the union "or" is not put, if the sentences connected with it have a common secondary term or subordinate clause. Here is an example: "Every day a catamaran departs from the pier or a boat sails." The same rule governs unions "and", "yes", "either." For example: "Cars were driving along the streets and trucks were racing."
4. A comma is not put, if the given union is used for connection of homogeneous members of the offer, which mutually exclude each other. For example: "Today or tomorrow", "Does she see it or not?".

Now you know when a comma is placed before or, or when not. The presented rules will help you to write a letter or any text correctly.

Other unions

It should be specially noted that punctuation problems arise not only when using the "or" union, but also when using the words "what" and "how". Let's consider these cases in more detail.

When you should not put a comma before the "what"?

1. A comma before "what" or after it is not put, if used in the expression "only and ... which", followed by a pronoun or noun. Let's give an example: "Only entertainment that the concert once a month," "Only money and a quarter in your pocket," "Only and all that shirt on your body," "Only talk about what he is one", "Only the light in the This window. "
2. Before this word, do not put a comma in cases where it is part of indecomposable sentences "at any price", "the devil knows what", etc. By the way, in the expression "besides the fact that" the comma is also not needed.
3. Before such a word, do not put a comma if it is not a subordinate union, which is in a complex sentence, but is, for example, a comparative particle. ("Above the head of the sky is that boundless ocean").
4. If this word is part of a composite union, then it is also not necessary to put a comma before it. For example: "Thanks to the fact that the strongest rains have passed, there are a lot of mushrooms in the pine forest".
5. A comma is not put, if the given word acts as an interrogative pronoun. For example: "What should I cook for dinner?", "And what should I do if he did not come on a date?"

When is the comma being put?

1. If in the first part of the sentence there is a complex particle "only and", the verb "to know", "to do", "to do" and the union "what", and in the second part there is necessarily any verb, then "what" should be put a comma. Let's give an example: "From five in the morning until the evening only you know that you are sitting here", "They only did with grandmother that they baked pies".
2. A comma before "what" should be put, if the second part of the expression is the subordinate part of the compound sentence. Let's give an example: "Only new, that the brothers are conferring on how to throw the bear", "Early in the morning it was felt that the sun would soon appear."
3. The comma is put, if "what" acts as a particle. Let's give an example: "And what, do you have every week like this?", "And what, you always dress like that?".

When should I put a comma before the "how"?

Before "how" is a comma in 3 cases:

1. If this union enters into expressions that are close in their role to the opening words: as a rule, as a consequence, as an exception, as now, as always, now, as if on purpose, for example. Let's give an example: "In the evening, as if on purpose, a snowstorm began," "This, as a rule, does not happen very often," "He, as always, was late for the meeting."
2. If all parts of a compound sentence are joined by this union. Let's give an example: "We watched for a long time, as water flows," "They watched for a long time, how the embers are smoldering in a fire."
3. If there is a circumstance in the sentence that is expressed by the comparative turn beginning with this union. Let's give an example: "The boy's voice rang like a bell", "The girl sang like a nightingale."

It is important to remember!

If any proposal continues after the turnover with this union, then it is necessary to isolate it. For example: "He watched the water for a long time, unable to tear himself away from such a spectacle."

When should I not put a comma?

Sentences with such a union are not allocated with commas in 5 cases:

1. If this union in circulation is used as a circumstance of the mode of action. Let's give an example: "The path wriggled like a snake." In such cases, the turn can easily be replaced by a similar adverb (snake-like) or by the noun, standing in the instrumental (snake). It should be noted that it is not always possible to distinguish the circumstances of the mode of action with complete certainty from the circumstances of the comparison. In this regard, there are quite a few errors.
2. If a word with this word is included in phraseology. For example: "During dinner, she sat on tenterhooks."
3. If this union stands between the predicate and the subject, and without it, it would be necessary to put a dash. Let's give an example: "The lake as a mirror."
4. If such a word is included in the main term of the sentence (the predicate), and the sentence itself without this turnover does not have a complete meaning. Let's give an example: "He holds on as the owner."
5. If the comparative revolution has a previous negation of "not" or one of the particles: simply, completely, almost, perfectly, like, exactly, exactly, exactly. For example: "They all do not like the others," "His hair is exactly like his father's."

It is important to remember!

The presented word can be used as a composite union "as ... and", "because" and "from the time", "since", etc. In these cases, the comma should not be put. Let's give examples: "All the windows in the palace and in ordinary houses are open", "He did not take food with him and now regretted this greatly, because he already wanted to eat."