Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

r When on the other hand the verb to be is in the present tense, and is therefore understood but not actually stated in the Russian, a

nominative complement must be used, e.g.

Oнa´ профe´ссор.

She is a professor .

Mой брaт – инжeнe´р.

Mу brother is an engineer .

Departures from this rule are rare, unless the complement is винa´, fault, blame , or причи´нa, cause , e.g. Tут, конe´чно, нe одно´

тeлeви´дeниe вино´й, Here, of course, television alone is not to blame .

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11.2

Use of pronouns

Note:

the noun which in English functions as the complement is not in the

instrumental in the following type of Russian construction:

Э

´то был ивa´н.

It was Ivan .

Э

´то былa´ Taтья´нa.

It was Tat iana .

Э

´то бы´ло фрaнцу´зскоe сло´во.

It was a French word .

Э

´то бы´ли дeрe´вья.

They were trees .

(f )

A number of other verbs, apart from быть, require an instrumental complement, at least in some contexts, e.g.

вы´глядeть(impf )

to look (like )

дe´лaться/сдe´лaться

to become

кaзa´ться/покaзa´ться

to seem

нaзывa´ть/нaзвa´ть

to call, name

окa´зывaться/окaзa´ться

to turn out to be, prove to be

остaвa´ться/остa´ться

to remain

притворя´ться/притвори´ться

to pretend to be

рaбо´тaть(no pf )

to work as

служи´ть/послужи´ть

to serve as

слыть/прослы´ть

to be reputed to be

стaнови´ться/стaть

to become

считa´ться(no pf )

to be considered

явля´ться/яви´ться

to be

(g)

Some verbs take a direct object in the accusative and a complement in the instrumental, e.g. Я нaхожу´э´ту о´пeру ску´чной, I find this opera boring (R2/3). Similarly:

выбирa´ть/вы´брaть

to elect

нaзнaчa´ть/нaзнa´чить

to appoint

считa´ть/счeсть

to consider

11.1.11

Use of the prepositional

This case, as its name suggests, is used only after certain prepositions (on which see 10.1.6) and can only be governed by verbs through those prepositions (see 10.3.5).

11.2

Use of pronouns

11.2.1

Use of кото´рый as a relative pronoun

The relative pronoun кото´рый( who, which ) gives some difficulty, for although it declines like an adjective and must agree in gender and

number with the noun or pronoun to which it refers, its case is

determined by its function within the subordinate clause in which it stands. Thus in all the following examples the relative pronoun is

feminine and singular, like мaши´нa, car , but its case varies in accordance with its grammatical role as, respectively, subject, direct object and word governed by в:

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11

Syntax

Maши´нa, кото´рaястои´т пe´рeд вокзa´лом, сломa´лaсь.

The car which is outside the station has broken down .

Maши´нa, кото´руюя купи´л(a) вчeрa´, сломa´лaсь.

The car which I bought yesterday has broken down .

Maши´нa, в кото´ройe´хaл прeзидe´нт, сломa´лaсь.

The car in which the president was travelling has broken down .

Note:

кто, who , and что, what, which , may also function as relative pronouns, although they are more commonly used as interrogative pronouns. As relative pronouns they occur mainly in conjunction with some form of тотor всe/всё, e.g. Te, кточитa´л ромa´н ‘Прeступлe´ниe и нaкaзa´ниe’, по´мнят

о´брaз Cвидригa´йловa, Those who have read ‘Crime and Punishment’ remember the character of Svidrigailov ; Я нe соглa´сeн/соглa´снa с тeм, чтоон говори´т, I do not agree with what he says .

11.2.2

Use of кaко´й and кото´рый as interrogative pronouns

These pronouns, which may be used in questions asking what ? or which ?, used to be more clearly distinguished than they are now. A question introduced by кaко´йanticipated an answer describing quality, e.g. Кaкa´я сeго´дня пого´дa? What is the weather like today ?, whereas one introduced by кото´рыйanticipated an answer selecting an item out of a number of things or indicating the position of sth in a numerical

series, e.g. Кото´рую из э´тих книг вы прeдпочитaéтe?, Which of these books do you prefer ?

Nowadays almost all questions requiring the use of one of these

pronouns may be put by using кaко´й, e.g.

Кaкиéви´нa вы лю´битe?

What wines do you like ?

Кaки´хру´сских a´второв

Which Russian authors have

читa´ли?

you read ?

– Кaко´йу вaс но´мeр?

‘Which room are you in?’

– двa´дцaть шeсто´й.

‘Twenty-six.’

Кото´рый, as an interrogative pronoun, can only really be considered obligatory in expressions of time such as Кото´рый чaс? What time is it ?

and B кото´ром чaсу´? At what time ?

11.2.3

Use of negative pronouns (никто´, etc.)

It must be remembered that the negative particle нemust precede any verb with which the negative pronouns ( никто´, ничто´, никогдa´,

нигдe

´ , никудa´, никaко´й, никa´к) are combined, e.g.

Hикто

´ нeви´дeл eго´.

Nobody saw him .

Oнa

´ ничeго´ нeви´дeлa.

She didn’t see anything .

Oн ни с кe

´ м нeговори´л.

He didn’t speak to anyone .

Я ни о чём нeду

´ мaю.

I’m not thinking about anything .