Dash in an unconditioned complex sentence. Cases of use

In the Russian language dash is used quite often. This sign can be attributed to a fairly "free", at least for the reason that the field of its author's use in the literary speech is quite broad, especially in poetry.

Nevertheless, it should be noted that the use of a dash in an unconditioned complex sentence refers to difficult cases of punctuation. Let us consider the most typical of them.

1. The most common case is staging a dash before the index word this. This punctuation mark here is a kind of graphic sketch of the pause, the previous description, explanation, addition to the characterization of something or someone.

"Advertising," he said, "is what can be the beginning in the development of our business.

- Liberals are those who advocate the destruction of social principles. Conservatives are those who defend order. (according to G. Marquez)

Recall that a complex sentence consists oftwo sentences relevant to each other in a semantic sense. In the role of a certain semantic bundle of parts, alliances and union words can act. Depending on the semantic load of the structure, they can combine, contrast, express doubt, etc.

2. If there are no conjunctions in the sentence, then the relationship between them is expressed by a certain intonation, a pause, that is, in fact, non-verbal linking elements. A dash in an unconditioned complex sentence is a kind of substitute for such words, performing a non-verbal function.

Consider examples where this punctuation is used instead of the oppositional union but or a (in the last sentence)

- Days passed, weeks - no one brought any news. (but)

- How others remember the past, so he foresees or, more correctly, also remembers the future - as if removing the covers from him, one by one ... (but)

- Everyone quieted by the fire and listened - there was no sound. (but)

"Everyone was waiting for Sergei to speak out - he was stubbornly silent. (a or but)

3. Non-union complex sentences, examples of which are given below, illustrate the cause-and-effect logical connection between parts, which is expressed by the words: that's why, then, therefore.

In these examples, the role of a substitute for these phrases is given by a dash.

- It was no longer worth waiting for Sergeyev to come - the chairman began to hold a meeting. (so)

"If you're hungry, die." (then)

- He noticed that the conflict was brewing - he hurried off to the side. (so)

4. A dash in an unconditioned complex sentence can perform the function of a comparative, that is, a comparison (as if):

- He stopped - he took water in his mouth. (proverb)

- And the hat is so red - a mushroom-mushroom!

In conclusion, let us touch upon the use of an emphatic dash in an unconsolidated complex sentence.

This punctuation mark is used to givespeeches of special expression, bright emotional coloring. According to the characteristic given in the study of M. Tsvetaeva's work by the American professor Michael Meikin, the use of the emphatic dash conveys the depth and range of the author's feelings, establishing an invisible connection with the reader.

But if the authors of poetic collections canto allow yourself an individual-creative approach to the use of this punctuation mark, the production of a dash in the official written speech, reports, when writing articles, must rely on the approved rules fixed in special points of philological textbooks.