Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

подaвля´яочaги´ сопротивлe´ния.

The troops began a careful advance towards the centre, slowly suppressing centres of resistance .

Cлу´шaярa´дио, мо´жно узнaвa´ть (or узнa´ть), чт ò происхо´дит в

ми´рe.

One can find out what is going on in the world by listening to the radio .

Oбогрeвa´ястрaну´, рaбо´чиe нa элeктростa´нциях нe чу´вствуют, что

стрaнa´ зaбо´тится о них.

Although they heat the country, the power workers do not feel the country cares about them .

r The perfective gerund describes action that has taken place, and has been completed, before the action described by the main verb (which

is not necessarily in the past). It translates an English expression of the sort having done , or, if it is negated, without having done , e.g.

Просидe´вдe´сять лeт в тюрьмe´, он посeдe´л.

Having been in prison for ten years, he had gone grey .

Cдe´лaвсвой доклa´д, онa´ сeйчa´с отвeчaéт нa вопро´сы.

Having given her report she is now answering questions .

Heльзя´ уходи´ть, нe зaплaти´в.

One mustn’t go without paying [having paid] .

Note 1

Gerunds may only be used when the subject performing the action in question is the same as the subject of the main clause, as is the case in all the above examples. A gerund cannot be used in a sentence of the type While she reads the text I write out the words I don’t know , in which the two clauses have different subjects ( she and I ). This sentence must be translated thus: Покa´онa´ читaéттeкст, я выпи´сывaю нeзнaко´мыe словa´.

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11.11

Use of gerunds and participles

2

Gerunds (mainly imperfective) have become established in certain set phrases, e.g. прa´вду говоря´, to tell the truth ; су´дя по(+ dat), judging by ; сидe´ть сложa´

ру´ки, to sit idly (lit with arms folded ). With the exception of such set phrases, though, the use of gerunds is largely confined to R3.

11.11.2

Use of active participles

Active participles correspond exactly, from a semantic point of view, to phrases containing кото´рый+ verb in the present tense (in the case of the present participles) or in the past tense, of either aspect (in the case of the past participles). The participle must agree in gender, case and number with the noun to which it relates (cf. use of кото´рый, 11.2.1),

e.g.

докумe´нты, подтвeрждa´ющиe[= кото´рыe подтвeрждa´ют] э´тот

фaкт, бы´ли нa´йдeны в aрхи´вaх.

Documents confirming this fact were found in archives .

для пaссaжи´ров, отпрaвля´ющихся[= кото´рыe отпрaвля´ются] по

сa´мым популя´рным aвиaтрa´ссaм, цe´ны то´жe вы´росли.

Fares have also risen for passengers departing on the most popular air routes .

Aвто´бус, вёзший[= кото´рый вёз] гостe´й нa свa´дьбу, упa´л с мостa´.

A bus [which was] carrying guests to a wedding fell off a bridge .

Компa´ния нaнимaéт инострa´нцeв, спeциa´льно приe´хaвших

[= кото´рыe приe´хaли] для э´того в Pосси´ю.

The company is employing foreigners who have come to Russia specially for the purpose .

Note:

active participles differ from semantically identical phrases with кото´рыйin that their use is confined to R3, except insofar as some have become established in the language in set phrases (e.g. пи´шущaя мaши´нкa, typewriter ) or adjectives (e.g. блeстя´щий, brilliant ; бы´вший, former ) or substantivised adjectives (e.g. куря´щий, smoker ).

11.11.3

Use of present passive participles

These participles are rarely used predicatively, but used attributively they occur quite frequently in the modern written language, especially in R3a and R3b. They must agree in gender, case and number with

the noun to which they refer, e.g.

бeзрaбо´тицa и порождaéмыee´ю отчa´яниe и гнeв

unemployment and the despair and anger generated by it

срeди´ зaло´жников, удe´рживaeмыхэкстрeми´стскими гру´ппaми, among the hostages held by extremist groups . . .

11.11.4

Use of past passive participles

These participles correspond to English participles of the type read, written, washed .

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Syntax

r Long forms of these participles decline like adjectives and must agree in gender, case and number with the noun to which they refer, e.g.

Maши´ны, сдe´лaнныeв Япо´нии, срaвни´тeльно дёшeвы.

Cars made in Japan are relatively cheap .

здeсь продaю´тся проду´кты, пригото´влeнныeбeз консeрвa´нтов.

Food-stuffs made without preservatives are sold here .

Я читa´ю кни´гу, нaпи´сaннуювa´шим отцо´м.

I am reading a book written by your father .

r Short forms of these participles, like short forms of adjectives, cannot be used unless the participle is used predicatively (i.e. unless some part of the verb to be comes between the noun and the participle which relates to it). However, when the participle isused predicatively then it must be in the short form, e.g.

Haш тeлeфо´н дaвно´ был отключён.

Our telephone was cut off a long time ago .

B нe´которых городa´х ввeдeнa´тaло´ннaя систe´мa.

A system of rationing has been introduced in some cities .

здa´ниe опeчa´тaно.

The building has been sealed .

Э

´ти домa´ бы´ли построéныв про´шлом году´.

These houses were built last year .

Note 1

Past passive participles are widely used in speech but in R1/R2 there is a tendency to avoid them by using instead a verb in the active voice (in the third person plural without a pronoun; cf. the unspecified English they , French on , German man ). Thus the above examples might be more colloquially rendered in the following way: Haш тeлeфо´н дaвно´ отключи´ли; B нe´которых городa´х

ввeли´тaло´нную систe´му; здa´ниe опeчa´тaли; Э

´ти домa´ постро´илив

про´шлом году´.

2

In many passive sentences the agent is named, e.g. Oн был уби´т пaртизa´нaми, He was killed by guerrillas ; Oнa´ былaáрeсто´вaнa мили´циeй, She was arrested by the police . Such sentences too may be rendered with an active verb, although Russian generally preserves the word order of the passive construction, with the named agent following the verb, e.g. Eго´ уби´ли пaртизa´ны; Eё