Punctuation and Kinds of Sentence
Punctuation and Kinds of Sentence
This topic gives one question and completes the qualifying portion of Hindi grammar. The names of the punctuation marks and the broad kinds of sentence are both small subjects, so it is best to keep them for the end and read them through in one sitting.
The Main Punctuation Marks
| Mark | Name | Use |
|---|---|---|
| । | Purn viram | at the end of a sentence |
| , | Alp viram | at a short pause |
| ; | Ardh viram | at a longer pause than a comma |
| ? | Prashnvachak | at the end of a question |
| ! | Vismayadibodhak | for joy, sorrow or surprise |
| - | Yojak | joining two words |
One feature of Hindi is asked directly — a sentence ends with the khadi pai, the upright stroke, and not with the English full stop. That is what marks standard Hindi.
✗ Ending a Hindi sentence with a dot is correct | ✓ Standard Hindi uses the khadi pai, not a dot
- Yojak chihn — माता-पिता, रात-दिन, सुख-दुख.
- Laghav chihn — after an abbreviation: डॉ॰, पं॰.
- Quotation marks — for words reported exactly as spoken.
- Brackets — for additional information.
Kinds by Structure
| Kind | Test | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Saral | one verb only | राम पत्र लिखता है |
| Sanyukt | joined by और, किंतु, इसलिए | राम आया और श्याम गया |
| Mishra | joined by जो-वह, यदि-तो | जो परिश्रम करता है, वह सफल होता है |
The simplest test is to look at the joining word. और, किंतु and इसलिए point to a compound sentence; जो-वह, जब-तब and यदि-तो point to a complex one.
Kinds by Sense
- Vidhanvachak — वह पढ़ता है.
- Nishedhvachak — वह नहीं पढ़ता.
- Prashnvachak — क्या वह पढ़ता है?
- Agyavachak — तुम पढ़ो.
- Vismayadibodhak — वाह, कितना सुंदर दृश्य!
At this level questions come from these five alone, and the kind is recognised from the final mark and the sense, which makes it the fastest question in the paper. Keep the two classifications apart — structure gives simple, compound and complex; sense gives statement, negative, question, order and exclamation.
प्रश्न में यह देखिए कि किस आधार पर पूछा गया है — रचना के आधार पर या अर्थ के आधार पर। दोनों वर्गीकरण अलग हैं।
TRE pointer: The khadi pai against the dot is close to a certain question. Learn the names yojak and laghav chihn, since the name itself is asked. For kinds of sentence, look at the joining word — और gives compound, जो-वह gives complex — and check on which basis the question is set.
60-Second Recap
- Hindi uses the khadi pai as a full stop, not a dot.
- The yojak chihn joins two words, as माता-पिता and रात-दिन.
- The laghav chihn follows an abbreviation, as डॉ॰ and पं॰.
- By structure, sentences are simple, compound and complex.
- और and किंतु give compound; जो-वह and यदि-तो give complex.
- By sense they are statement, negative, question, order and exclamation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the full stop in Hindi?
The khadi pai, a single upright stroke. The English dot is not accepted as a full stop in standard Hindi, though its use in everyday writing has grown. The examination treats only the standard form as correct.
How are compound and complex sentences told apart?
By the joining word. और, किंतु, परंतु and इसलिए make a compound sentence, because each half stands complete on its own. जो-वह, जब-तब and यदि-तो make a complex one, because one half remains incomplete without the other.
What is the difference between yojak and laghav chihn?
The yojak chihn joins two words and looks like a short line, as in माता-पिता and रात-दिन. The laghav chihn follows an abbreviation and looks like a small circle, as in डॉ॰ and पं॰. Their form and their function both differ.
How do the two classifications of sentence differ?
By structure a sentence is simple, compound or complex, and that depends on how it is built. By sense it is a statement, a negative, a question, an order or an exclamation, and that depends on what it conveys. Check which basis the question is using.