Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

aрeстовa´лa мили´ция.

11.12

Conjunctions

11.12.1

Coordinating conjunctions

(a)

The main coordinating conjunctions ( и, a, но, и´ли) may be used in all registers. In R1, in which language tends to be spontaneous and less well organised, coordinating conjunctions are the principal means of linking the clauses of complex sentences and subordinating

conjunctions (11.12.2) play a lesser role. The following points about the Russian coordinating conjunctions should be particularly noted by the English-speaking student.

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Conjunctions

r Both aand ноmay be translated as but . However, anormally suggests a stronger opposition than но: it excludes one factor in favour of another, whereas ноhas only a sense of limitation. Contrast: Cовe´тую идти´ мe´длeнно, aнe

I suggest you go slowly, don’t run .

бeжa´ть.

Cовe´тую торопи´ться, нонe

I suggest you hurry, but don’t run .

бeжa´ть.

In the first example going slowly and running are presented as

opposites and running is ruled out. In the second running is presented not as an opposite of hurrying but as an unnecessary intensification of it.

Note:

aused in this contrastive sense may not be directly translated at all in English, e.g. ‘лeбeди´ноe о´зeро’ бaлe´т, aнe о´пeрa, ‘Swan Lake’ is a ballet, not an opera (see also the first example above).

r amay also translate English and , when that conjunction has contrastive meaning, e.g.

Caди´тeсь, a я постою´.

You sit down and I shall stand .

Oни´ остa´лись, a мы ушли´.

They stayed and we went home .

r in lists, in which in English and is placed as a rule before the last member, иmay be omitted in Russian, particularly in sedate narrative style, e.g.

Продaвa´ли о´бувь. Tу´фли,

They were selling footwear. Shoes,

кроссо´вки, сaпоги´, вa´лeнки.

trainers, boots and felt boots .

Inclusion of иin a list might give the list an exhaustive air and is therefore more probable in the precise language of R3a/b.

(b)

There are in addition a few coordinating conjunctions which are not

stylistically neutral but belong to R1, especially:

r дa(esp in N dialects), e.g.

дeнь дaночь

day and night

ко´жa дaко´сти

skin and bone

Я охо´тно остa´лся/остa´лaсь бы,

I’d willingly stay, but it’s time to go .

дaпорa´ уходи´ть.

Бли´зок ло´коть, дaнe уку´сишь.

lit One’s elbow is near, but you can’t

bite it , i.e. So near and yet so far .

r дa и, and besides/and what is more , e.g.

Xо´лодно бы´ло, дa идождь шёл. It was cold, and besides, it was raining .

r a то, otherwise/or else , e.g.

Oдeвa´йся потeплeé, a то

Put some more clothes on, otherwise

просту´дишься.

you’ll catch cold .

Cпeши´, a тоопоздaéм.

Hurry or we’ll be late .

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Syntax

r ли´бо, or , e.g.

ли´бопaн, ли´бопропa´л.

lit Either a gentleman or I’m done

for , i.e. All or nothing .

11.12.2

Subordinating conjunctions

The conjunctions given in the following examples are standard forms.

They may all be used in all registers. It should be noted though that subordinating conjunctions tend to occur more in R3 (i.e. in formal

language, where a speaker or writer is perhaps concerned to establish the logical connections which conjunctions indicate) than in R1,

where language is more expressive and spontaneous and ideas less

clearly organised, and where coordinating conjunctions therefore

prevail.

Note:

some English subordinating conjunctions (e.g. after, before, since ) may also function as prepositions (see Chapter 10 above). When they are prepositions they are followed by a noun, pronoun or verbal noun, e.g. after dinner, before us, since graduating . When they are conjunctions they introduce a subordinate clause, e.g. after I had had dinner . In Russian the two functions are distinguished.

Thus по´слeis a preposition, but the conjunction is по´слe того´, кaк.

causal

дe´вочкa плa´кaлa, потому´ чтоустa´лa.

The little girl was crying becauseshe was tired .

лe´кции нe бу´дeт, тaк кaкпрофe´ссор зaболe´л.

There won’t be a lecture sincethe professor is ill .

temporal

Я нe знa´ю, когдa´приду´.

I don’t know whenI’ll come .

Oн пришёл нa остaно´вку по´слe того´, кaкaвто´бус ушёл.

He arrived at the stop afterthe bus had gone .

Haм нa´до поговори´ть с ним об э´том, покa´он тут.

We must have a word with him about that whilehe’s here .

Посмо´трим тeлeви´зор, покa´онa´ нeпридёт.

Let’s watch television untilshe comes .

Note:

покa´ нeis followed by a perfective verb.

что он дe´лaл с тeх пор, кaкоко´нчил унивeрситe´т?

What had he been doing sincehe left university ?

Oнa´ осознa´лa свою´ оши´бку, кaк то´льковы´шлa из ко´мнaты.

She realised her mistake as soon asshe left the room .

Eдвa´сaмолёт взлeтe´л, кaкпило´т обнaру´жил нeполa´дку.

No soonerhad the plane taken off than the pilot detected a fault .

Tы до´лжeн/должнa´ доe´сть ры´бу, прe´ждe чeмвзять моро´жeноe.

You must eat up your fish beforeyou have any ice-cream .

Oн пришёл пeрeд тe´м, кaкпроби´ли чaсы´.

He arrived just beforethe clock struck .

Oнa´ рaбо´тaлa пeрeво´дчиком до того´, кaкстa´лa журнaли´стом.

She worked as a translator beforeshe became a journalist .

Note:

see 11.6(c) on use of tense after temporal and conditional conjunctions.

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11.12

Conjunctions