Svetlana Flemming - Colloquial Russian - The Next Step in Language Learning

How to form the perfective gerund

The perfective gerund is formed by replacing the -l from the masculine singular form of the perfective past tense by -v: końhit; –

końhil – końhiv ‘having finished’.

Reflexive verbs take the ending -vwis; : podveŕgnut;sq –

podveŕgnulsq – podveŕgnuvwis; ‘having been subjected to’.

Verbs ending in -ti, including prefixed forms of vesti´, vezti´, idti´ and nesti´ have a perfective gerund ending in -q. Form it in the same way as the imperfective gerund, but using a perfective verb: podojti´ – podojdu´t – podojdq´ ‘having approached’; vy

´ vezti –

vy

´ vezut – vy´vezq ‘having exported’.

Vybory v Dumu

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Exercise 7

3

4

Form the perfective gerund from the following verbs.

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sozda´t;, nabra´t;, progolosova´t;, stat;, skaza´t;, pojti´, prinesti´, 6

ue´xat;, okaza´t;sq, vernu´t;sq, vvezti´, s#est;, najti´, 'eni´t;sq, 7

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nazva´t;

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How to use the perfective gerund

1

A perfective gerund is used to express an action performed by the 2

same subject as the main verb of the sentence prior to the action of 3

the main verb:

4

5

Vstre´tivwis; s ruśskimi, on mno´go uznaĺ o 'iźni v

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Rossií.

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Having met Russians he had learnt a lot about life in Russia.

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The alternative construction using an adverbial clause would read: 9

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Pośle togo´ kak (tak kak) on vstre´tilsq s ruśskimi, on 1

mno´go uznaĺ o 'iźni v Rossií.

2

After (because) he had met Russians he knew a lot about life in 3

Russia.

4

Provided the action in the gerund takes place before the action of the 5

main verb, a perfective gerund may be used, whatever the tense of 6

the main verb:

7

8

Vstre´tivwis; s ruśskimi, on mno´go uznaét o 'iźni v

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Rossií.

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Having met Russians he will have learnt a lot about life in 1

Russia.

2

3

There are some further examples of perfective gerunds in the text 4

Neo'i ´dannaq pobe ´da: 5

Odna´ko naha´v s niźkogo uŕovnq, re´jting postepeńno

6

povywaĺsq.

7

However, having started from a low level, the ratings were 8

gradually climbing.

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KPRF lidiŕovala v vy

´ borax, nabra´v 27.7% goloso´v.

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The CPRF was leading in the elections, having picked up 27.7%

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of the votes.

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Elections to the Duma

Note that for a gerund to be used, it is essential that the subject of the gerund be identical to the subject of the main verb. It is impossible to use a gerund to translate the following sentence into Russian: The CPRF having picked up only 28.7% of the votes, the ‘Unity’

movement came second.

Tak kak KPRF nabrala´ toĺ;ko 27.7% goloso´v,

zańqlo vtoroé meśto.

Exercise 8

Replace the adverbial clauses with perfective gerunds.

1 Esli vy prie´dete v Moskvu´, vy ne uznaéte goŕoda. 2 Pośle togo´

kak on vernuĺsq iz poeźdki po Rossií, xudo´'nik napisaĺ

prekraśnye kartińy. 3 Tak kak on rodiĺsq v Rossií, on xorowoźnal ruśsku[ kul;tuŕu. 4 Kogdaón poznako´milsq s nej, on byl pora'e¨n ee¨ znańiqmi. 5 Pośle togo´ kak ona´ vy´wla za´mu' za nego´, ona brośila svo[

ŕabo´tu. 6 Toĺ;ko kogda´ vy prohitaéte tekst, vy

smo´'ete otve´tit; na voprośy. 7 Esli ty sdaw; \kza´meny, ty postu´piw; v universite´t. 8 Tak kak oniótkazaĺis; uhaśtvovat; v sorevnovańiqx, oni´ byĺi vyńu'deny ue´xat; domo´j. 9 Tak kak ona´ pohu´vstvovala sebq´ plo´xo, onaĺeglańa krova´t;.

Exercise 9

Replace the underlined verbs with suitable gerunds (imperfective or perfective).

1 Vy´bory obsu'da´[tsq v preśse i podverga´[tsq raźnym oceńkam.

2 pobediĺo i okazaĺos; na vtoro´m meśte. 3 Re´jting

povywaĺsq i podowe¨l za meśqc do golosovańiq k 9%.

4 Izbira´teli priwlińa vy´bory i progolosovaĺi za no´vu[ paŕti[.

5 ne imeét opredele¨nnoj progra´mmy i ne mo´'et byt; pra´vq´]ej paŕtiej. 6 Ona´ provo´dit vse kani´kuly na plq´'e i nihegońe deĺaet. 7 On prohitaĺ pis;moí zasmeqĺsq. 8 On ne skazaĺ ni slo´va i vy´wel iz ko´mnaty. 9 Fra´kcii ob#ediniĺis; i pobediĺi na vy´borax. 10 Paŕtiq oder'aĺa pobe´du i staĺa provodi´t; no´vu[ poli´tiku. 11