Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

He was due to come but he did not come .

r Many types of negative expression and types of verb, when negated, require a following infinitive to be imperfective, especially those which express:

(a)

prohibition: modal constructions with the meaning may not or should not , e.g. Tут нeльзя´ пeрeходи´тьдоро´гу, One must not cross the road here (because e.g. there is no crossing and one may be fined).

Note:

constructions meaning cannot , on the other hand, are rendered by perfective forms, e.g. Tут нeльзя´ пeрeйти´доро´гу, One cannot cross the road here (because e.g. there is too much traffic or the road is up and it is dangerous).

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11

Syntax

(b)

dissuasion, e.g. Oн уговори´л мeня´ нe остaвa´ться, He persuaded me not to stay .

Note:

the verb to dissuade , отговa´ривaть/отговори´ть, also requires a following infinitive to be imperfective, e.g. Oтe´ц отговори´л сы´нa мeня´тьпрофe´ссию, The father dissuaded his son from/talked his son out of changing his profession .

(c)

adviceor requestthat sth notbe done, e.g. Bрaч посовe´товaл

больно´му нe выходи´тьнa у´лицу, The doctor advised the patient not to go out ; Прeдсeдa´тeль прeдложи´л нe отклa´дывaтьрeшe´ниe, The chairman proposed that a decision not be delayed .

(d)

a decision, promiseor intention notto do sth, e.g. Áрмия

рeши´лa нe нaступa´тьнa столи´цу, The army decided not to attack the capital .

Note:

if on the other hand verbs such as уговa´ривaть/уговори´ть,

совe´товaть/посовe´товaть, прeдлaгa´ть/прeдложи´ть, проси´ть/попроси´ть, рeшa´ть/рeши´тьare followed by a verb that is not negated, then the following infinitive may be of either aspect, depending on the usual considerations concerning prolongation or frequency of the action. Thus a perfective infinitive will be required if the action is performed on a single occasion, e.g.

Bрaч посовe´товaл больно´му приня´ть[pf ] снотво´рноe, The doctor advised the patient to take a sleeping tablet .

(e)

inexpediency, e.g. He сто´ит смотрe´тьэ´тот фильм, It’s not worth seeing this film ; Кури´тьврe´дно, Smoking is bad for you .

11.5.6

Use of aspect in the imperative

The use of the imperfective aspect in the imperative sounds less

categoric and therefore more polite than the use of the perfective. The imperfective tends to express invitations or requests whereas the

perfective tends to express instructions or commands. However,

imperatives of all sorts, including those expressed in the perfective, may be softened by the insertion of пожa´луйстa, please , or some phrase such as бу´дьтe добры´, be so kind as to (see also 7.12). In R1 the particle

-кa(5.4 (a)) serves the same purpose, e.g. Ha´дя, иди´-кaсюдa´, Come over here, would you, Nadia .

imperfective

perfective

r

commands relating to repeated action, e.g.

cf. Позвони´мнe зa´втрa, Phone me

По воскрeсe´ньям звони´мa´мe, Phone mother

tomorrow .

on Sundays .

r

invitation to do sth, e.g. Caди´тeсь,

instruction to do sth on a single occasion,

пожa´луйстa, Sit down, please ; По доро´гe

e.g. Cя´дьтeпобли´жe к свe´ту, Sit nearer the

домо´й зaходи´ко мнe, Call in to see me on

light ; По доро´гe домо´й зaйди´в aптe´ку,

the way home .

Call in at the chemist’s on the way home .

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11.6

Problems in choice of tense

r

instruction to do sth on a single occasion

cf. Прочитa´йтe пe´рвый aбзa´ц, Read the

expressed by transitive verb without direct

first paragraph ; Haпиши´тe сто словнa э´ту

object, e.g. читa´йтeмe´длeннee, Read more

тe´му, Write a hundred words on this subject .

slowly ; Пиши´тeaккурa´тнee, Write more

neatly .

r

request to begin to do sth or to get on with

sth, e.g. Ко´нчили смотрe´ть тeлeви´зор?

Teпe´рь выключa´йтeeго´, Have you finished

watching television? Now switch it off ; Bстaвa´й,

ужe´ по´здно, Get up, it’s late .

r

with нe:prohibition, e.g. Бо´льшe ко мнe нe

with нe(often with смотри´(тe)or

приходи´тe, Don’t come to me any more .

осторо´жно): warning, e.g. Cмотри´ нe

урони´вa´зу, Watch out, don’t drop the vase ;

Oсторо´жно, нe упaди´, здeсь ско´льзко, Be

careful, don’t fall over, it’s slippery here .

r

нe+ infin: formal prohibition (see 6.8(a)),

infin, not negated: formal instruction (see

e.g. He прислоня´ться, Do not lean . (on door

6.8(a)), e.g. При aвa´рии рaзби´тьстeклоóf train) молотко´м, In the event of an accident break

the glass with the hammer .

11.6

Problems in choice of tense

Russian in some contexts requires use of a tense which is unexpected to English-speakers.

(a)

Reported speech, in which Russian verbs are put in the tense that would have been used in the original statement or question. Reported speech may be defined for this purpose as statements introduced by

verbs of thinking, knowing, hoping and even verbs of perception

such as hearing as well as verbs of saying, asking and replying. This usage differs from English usage. Compare, for example, the tenses

used in the reported speech in the following Russian and English

sentences:

Я скaзa´л(a) eму´, что живу´в ло´ндонe.

I told him that I livedin London .

Cолдa´ты убeди´лись, что ми´нa нe взорвётся.

The soldiers made sure that the mine wouldnot explode .

Oн спроси´л, изучa´юли я ру´сский язы´к.