Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

лишa´ться/лиши´ться

to lose, be deprived of

слу´шaться/послу´шaтьсяb

to obey

сто´итьc (no pf )

to be worth

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Syntax

a The different aspects of this verb have different meanings when the verb refers to a single instance.

b In R1 this verb may now govern the accusative of an animate object, e.g.

Peбёнок слу´шaeтся Be´ру, The child obeys Vera .

c But this verb governs the accusative when it means to cost (see 11.1.2).

(c)

A number of verbs may govern either the genitive or the accusative,

e.g.

дожидa´ться/дождa´ться

to wait until

ждaть/подождa´ть

to wait for, expect

искa´ть(various pf )

to look for, seek

ожидa´ть(no pf )

to expect

проси´ть/попроси´ть

to ask for

трe´бовaть/потрe´бовaть

to require, need

хотe´ть/зaхотe´ть

to want

The reasons for choosing one case in preference to the other after

these verbs are not very clear-cut, and educated Russians may be

unable to explain them or even to agree on which case should be used in certain contexts. One may say that the genitive tends to be used if the object of the verb is general and abstract, whilst the accusative tends to prevail if the object is particular and concrete, i.e. is a specific thing or person. Thus:

r genitive object

Oн ждaл отвe´тa.

He was waiting for an answer .

Прошу´ прощe´ния.

I beg (your) pardon .

Tрe´буют aрe´стaпрeзидe´нтa.

They are demanding the arrest of

the president .

r accusative object

Oн ждёт дя´дю.

He is waiting for his uncle .

Oн и´щeт тётю.

He is looking for his aunt .

Про´сим ви´зунa въeзд в

We are asking for a Russian entry visa .

Pосси´ю.

Note:

the genitive is understood in set phrases expressing wishes (see 7.9), e.g. Bсeго´

до´брого! All the best!

11.1.6

Case of direct object after a negated verb

The genitive may be used instead of the accusative to express the direct object of a negated verb. The foreign student needs to know when one case or the other is obligatory or strongly preferred, but should also be aware that there are many instances where the question is finely

balanced and either case might be acceptable to a native-speaker.

Note:

there is no question of a genitive object being used if the negated verb is one which, when it is used affirmatively, governs the dative or instrumental case.

Thus in the statement I am not interested in music the noun music would be rendered by an instrumental form (я нe интeрeсу´юсь му´зыкой) just as it would 382

11.1

Use of the cases

if the verb интeрeсовa´тъся were not negated. Only verbs which, when affirmative, govern the accusative case may govern a direct object in the genitive when they are negated.

(a)

The genitive is preferred in the following circumstances:

r when the negation is intensive, i.e. if the negated verb is strengthened by some form of никaко´й, or ни одного´/одно´й, or ни . . . ни, e.g.

Hикaки´х рeшe´нийприня´ть нe

They could not take any decisions

смогли´.

at all .

r when the absence of sth or any part of sth is indicated. (The English translation in such contexts may well contain the word any .) A genitive object is therefore naturally to be expected after the verb имe´тьwhen it is negated.

Mото´рных ло´докздeсь eщё нe

They have not yet acquired motor

приобрeли´.

boats here .

Mы нe имeéм достa´точного

We don’t have a sufficient supply of

зaпa´сaто´пливa.

fuel .

r when the negated verb and its object combine to form a common

expression, a set phraseological combination, e.g.

Э

´то нe игрaéт ро´ли.

This plays no role .

Я нe обрaщa´ю внимa´ниянa э´то.

I рaу nо attention to this .

Mы нe пожaлeéм сил.

We shall spare no efforts .

Oни´ нe сложи´ли ору´жия.

They did not lay down (their) arms .

Oнa´ нe нeсёт отвe´тствeнности

She does not bear responsibility

зa э´то.

for this .

r when the negated verb is a verb of perception, especially ви´дeть, to see , or слы´шaть, to hear , e.g.

Oн нe ви´дeл трaмвa´я, кото´рый

He did not see the tram which was

мe´длeнно шёл по у´лицe.

moving slowly down the street .

Я нe слы´шaл(a) звонкa´.

I didn’t hear the bell .

r when the form of the verb which is negated is a gerund or active

participle, e.g.

нe читa´я гaзe´ты

not reading the paper

нe нaписa´в письмa´

without having written the letter

проблe´мa, нe нaшe´дшaя

a problem which did not find reflection

отрaжe´нияв кни´гe

in the book

r when the object of the negated verb is э´то, this/that/it , e.g.

Я э´тогонe зaбу´ду.

I shan’t forget this .

Mно´гиe нe хотe´ли бы э´того.

Manу people would not want this .

Note:

it may happen that more than one of the above considerations applies and that it is therefore difficult to define the overriding criterion for using the genitive in a given context.

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(b)

On the other hand the accusative is preferred in the following

circumstances:

r when there is a double negative or when the negative occurs in a

combination such as чуть нe, almost , or eдвa´ нe, barely , i.e. when the basic idea is not negative but affirmative, e.g.

Oн нe мог нe зaмe´тить пятно´.

He could not help noticing the stain .

Oнa´ чуть нe рaзби´лa вa´зу.

She almost broke the vase .

Кaк тут нe вспо´мнить э´то?

How can one not recall this ?

r when the object of the negated verb is qualified by an instrumental predicate, e.g.

Я нe нaхожу´ фрaнцу´зский язы´к