Dove, don't worry. As I said, I'm very hot young rich man. I have lots of time to waste. I'm wearing brand new Armani suit as I write this:
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1: cергией- is it correct? (Serguei)
You find the answer to this question in the previous post, where I have spelled it correctly.
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2: идет дождь все время, но больше мне нравится ливень. = (?)
I want to say "It's raining all the time, but I like downpours more."
This does not quite make sense in English. You like downpours more than what? It would make sense if you said "It's raining lightly all the time, but I like downpours more(than light rains)."
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3: Брат столкнулся с большой проблемой:
but the problem still bothers him, should I use this sentence?
This means "Brother has run into a big problem." As for simply throwing in "But the problem still bothers [my brother]", this does not make much sense unless you explain what the problem is. Even if you have already explained it in a previous letter, this is rather abrupt. I think this would be better:
Брат все еще беспокоится о той проблеме, о которой я тебе рассказала.
"Brother's still worried about that problem which I told you about."
Prince of Somalia's radar is never off.
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5: Наконец-то: I haven't seen this word before, could you please tell me its usages.
Err, it's like a more emphasized "Finally!" Russians I talk with like to use it.
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6: на время я была по-настоящему растрогалась.
Pravit, how do you interprete this sentence then?
растрогана: I mean to be an adjective, is it wrong?
There is no "я была растрогалась." I don't think растрогана is wrong, but I don't see it often - and Propp(Prince of Russian Philologists) has told me it's best to avoid passive voice constructions and find a fitting verb.
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8: What are the difference/s between еду and поеду?
I prefer "еду" in my sentence.
You can prefer whatever you like, but that doesn't make it correct. Поеду is a future action that will be completed. Еду is an ongoing incomplete action.
Я никак не смогла бы поехать к ней в гости
I couldn't possibly visit her.
Я никогда не поеду к ней в гости
I will never visit her.
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9: How to say "I still haven't seen the desert and the beautiful nature yet.
Moreover, if only I met you, no purpose, you know. My new dream is to return to my origin."
This passage does not make very much sense in English. What does the desert and beautiful nature have to do with meeting him? But here it is in Russian:
Я еще не видела пустыню и красивую природу. К тому же, если только я смогла бы встретиться с тобой, это было бы все-таки без пользы. У меня новая мечта - вернуться в мою родину.
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10: Pravit: ...
Dove: perhaps your guess is right.
I used a dot dot dot many times, so I don't know which guess you're referring to.
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11: Ты очень занятой?
Should not "Ты" be placed in the end here?
Should not you not question my judgement? :wink: If you want to emphasize that it is HIM(and not someone else) who is busy, feel free to do so. In fact, feel free to write whatever you would like.
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12: Действительно Я знаею, что ни о чем хочу говорить тебя ни почему написала это письмо. все же понимаешь ли ты?
Well, I mean "Actually, I know neither what I want to tell you nor why I wrote you this letter. However you understand everything, don't you?"
На самом деле, я не знаю ни того, что я хочу тебе рассказать, ни почему я написала это письмо. Но ты понимаешь все, не так ли?
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13: Pravit: How long have you been learning Russian?
Dave: Nearly half year.
Very good. By the way, my intuition suggests you're not a native speaker of English. Perhaps you would like to write the letter in your native tongue - it will be much easier to understand. I am also guessing Sergei readily understands English and/or whatever your native language is.
TO the Prince of TOEFL teachers:
I've never actually written a letter on paper, but I've written several hundred long, romantic e-mails which you'd clutch to your chest if only they were on paper :lol: :lol:. I don't know if the rules of paper letterwriting are different, but unless you are intimate with someone(for example if they are a close relative or very dear friend) you don't use дорогой. If it is someone you're on a вы basis with, you use "уважаемый" and there are probably a couple others.
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Is it possible to just drop но? Just an idea.
Yes, but the way the writer sounds changes slightly:
It rains all the time, but I like it. - (writer assumes the reader will have a negative feeling about rain, so they hurry to assure them they like it)
It rains all the time, I like it. - (writer is not really thinking about the reader's reaction to the rain and is merely commenting on surroundings)
Both are correct. Well, actually, both are wrong here, because that's not what she meant.