Пунктуацыя: punctuation in simple and complex sentences
Пунктуацыя is tested together with spelling, and the marks follow a short list of structures. Коска separates homogeneous members without a conjunction (Зямля, дрэвы, дахі былі белыя), closes an address (Сябры, слухайце!), sets off пабочныя словы (канечне, напэўна, можа, па-першае) and дзеепрыслоўныя звароты. It stands before а, але, ды meaning але, before the conjunction of a складаназалежны сказ, and before compound conjunctions such as таму што or для таго каб (the comma goes before the whole conjunction, not inside it).
Двукроп'е follows a generalizing word before homogeneous members (Усё было белым: зямля, дрэвы, дахі) and appears in a бяззлучнікавы сказ where the second part gives the reason or explains the first. Тырэ marks the gap between subject and predicate when both are nouns in the nominative and no copula is present (Кніга - крыніца ведаў), marks a generalizing word after a list, an opposition, and a sudden change of events in a бяззлучнікавы сказ.
Traps: no comma before a single і joining homogeneous members; no comma when як means «in the capacity of» (Яго прынялі як спецыяліста), but a comma when як introduces a comparison (Белы, як снег); no comma inside set expressions built on як.
Worked example: «Усё было белым: зямля, дрэвы, дахі». The colon appears because зямля, дрэвы, дахі are homogeneous members and Усё is the generalizing word. Find the generalizing word first - the mark is then automatic.