Thread: Chapter 21 questions

Deborski--No it's just the dialogue in the grammar book I'm working through.

Another question: I need the choose the imperfective or perfective aspect.

сегодня я (received)только одно письмо от брата, но завтра я, наверно, (will receive) 2-3 письма от своих друзей.
Is the first получил and the second буду получать?

Also how is "2-3" said in speech? We say "two to three" or "two or three" in English. Is it "две три" in Russian?

Z

Originally Posted by zorro

сегодня я (received)только одно письмо от брата, но завтра я, наверно, (will receive) 2-3 письма от своих друзей.
Is the first получил and the second буду получать?

I'm pretty sure you should use the perfective future (я получу) even though there more than one letter will be received -- after all, you expect that several letters will be delivered simultaneously, on the same day. However, I think you could say:

В декабре я буду получать много писем от друзей.
(In December, I will be receiving many letters from friends [i.e., over the course of the entire Christmas season].)

Originally Posted by zorro

Deborski--No it's just the dialogue in the grammar book I'm working through.

Another question: I need the choose the imperfective or perfective aspect.

сегодня я (received)только одно письмо от брата, но завтра я, наверно, (will receive) 2-3 письма от своих друзей.
Is the first получил and the second буду получать?

Also how is "2-3" said in speech? We say "two to three" or "two or three" in English. Is it "две три" in Russian?

Z

... я получу два-три письма.

Note 1. "две" is for feminine nouns only. So, it is "два-три" in this case.
Note 2. Robert is right about the aspect.

Thanks for your help, guys.

Another question: Here too it's choosing imperfective or perfective aspect. Володя в школе очень хорошо учится; в университете он, наверно, всегда (will receive) хорошие отметки. Is it получить?

How about this one: Надеюсь, что вы на это не (will take offense). Is it обидитесь?

Is this correct? Я надеюсь, что нас на границе не задержат. In the second clause is there no subject? Is it a kind of passive voice?

Thanks for any help,
Z

Володя в школе очень хорошо учится; в университете он, наверно, всегда (will receive) хорошие отметки.

Repetitive action, so imperfective. Future, 3rd person, singular (he). = "будет получать"

Надеюсь, что вы на это не (will take offense). Is it обидитесь?

ОК

Я надеюсь, что нас на границе не задержат.

It is called "неопределенно-личное предложение". "Задержат" has a form of past 3rd person plural, so subject "they" is implied but skipped. "I hope they won't stop us on the border." It is not mentioned specifically (not even before) who are "they".

Originally Posted by it-ogo

Я надеюсь, что нас на границе не задержат.

It is called "неопределенно-личное предложение". "Задержат" has a form of past 3rd person plural, so subject "they" is implied but skipped. "I hope they won't stop us on the border." It is not mentioned specifically (not even before) who are "they".

And yes, it is a kind of passive voice. Normally, Russian academic grammar school does not call it "passive voice" since there is no passive verb in it. It calls it "неопределенно-личное предложение" as it-ogo wrote. But this structure is a functional equivalent of the passive voice. It is used to "remove" the real subject from the phrase since we do not know its name. "нас не задержат" = "we will not be detained". Although grammatically it is structured differently.

Thank you.

Another question: There is this sentence in the chapter, Я учусь русский язык два года. Would this apply to me, someone studying on their own, or does it imply you are a student in a formal course? In a previous chapter I understood заниматься is used with an object in the intrumental case in the sense of "studying on one's own". Я занимаюсь русским язьком два года. Which should I use for myself?

Then there's a translation, "Next week we're flying to Moscow for three weeks". I wrote На прошлой неделе мы полетим в Москву на три недели. I'm not sure about the verb.

Thanks,
Z

Originally Posted by zorro

Я учусь русский язык два года.

It is wrong. Should be either "Я учу русский язык два года." or "Я учусь русскому языку два года."

Are you doing it by yourself or not is not specified in both cases (they are the same). As well as in "Я занимаюсь русским языком два года." If you want to specify that you do it by your own, insert "самостоятельно" before a verb.

"Next week we're flying to Moscow for three weeks". = "На прошлой следующей неделе мы полетим в Москву на три недели.
The verb is OK.