Thread: Schaum's Grammar

Please correct my understanding of the text in the following sentences. I'm not sure if I understand them correctly. Спасибо.

Ex. 19
4. Ученики просили выйти из класса.
The students requested to go out of the classroom.

5. Врачи долго его диагнозировали.
The doctors took a long time in their diagnosis.

Originally Posted by tohca

Please correct my understanding of the text in the following sentences. I'm not sure if I understand them correctly. Спасибо.

Ex. 19
4. Ученики просили выйти из класса.
The students requested to go out of the classroom.

5. Врачи долго его диагнозировали.
The doctors took a long time in their diagnosis.

4. Correct. Also: The students asked to leave the classroom

5. The doctors diagnosed him for a long time.

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

Originally Posted by tohca

5. Врачи долго его диагнозировали.
The doctors took a long time in their diagnosis.

5. The doctors diagnosed him for a long time.

врачи = nominative?
его = accusative?
диагнозировали = genetive?

диагнозировали is the verb.

Originally Posted by tohca

4. Ученики просили выйти из класса.
The students requested to go out of the classroom.

This is either non-authentic sentence or sentence without wider context. Maybe it should read "Учеников..." In such a case, the translation is "The students are asked to leave the classroom." If the sentence is correct anyway, then it something like "The students asked <someone> to leave the classroom."

5. Врачи долго его диагнозировали.
The doctors took a long time in their diagnosis.

The verb is written incorrectly. It is "диагностировали". Your understanding is all right.

5. Врачи долго его диагностировали.
The doctors took a long time in their diagnosis.

I maybe wrong, but I'm not sure the English translation is correct... Where is его in the translation? Why is it their diagnosis?.. Maybe his?

Originally Posted by scotcher

диагнозировали is the verb.

Originally Posted by Оля

5. Врачи долго его диагностировали.
The doctors took a long time in their diagnosis.

I maybe wrong, but I'm not sure the English translation is correct... Where is его in the translation? Why is it their diagnosis?.. Maybe his?

You're right. The problem is that to express the Russian sentence in English properly you need to use a different sentence structure, because the direct translation, "The doctors diagnosed him for a long time", isn't idiomatic English.

I would say "The doctors spent a long time diagnosing him." is the closest you can get.

Originally Posted by Оля

5. Врачи долго его диагностировали.
The doctors took a long time in their diagnosis.

I maybe wrong, but I'm not sure the English translation is correct... Where is его in the translation? Why is it their diagnosis?.. Maybe his?

Sorry, I missed the его earlier. KV has already corrected my mistake earlier.

Originally Posted by scotcher

Originally Posted by Оля

5. Врачи долго его диагностировали.
The doctors took a long time in their diagnosis.

I maybe wrong, but I'm not sure the English translation is correct... Where is его in the translation? Why is it their diagnosis?.. Maybe his?

You're right. The problem is that to express the Russian sentence in English properly you need to use a different sentence structure, because the direct translation, "The doctors diagnosed him for a long time", isn't idiomatic English.

I would say "The doctors spent a long time diagnosing him." is the closest you can get.

Yes this is certainly much better. Thanks.

Originally Posted by scotcher

Originally Posted by Оля

5. Врачи долго его диагностировали.
The doctors took a long time in their diagnosis.

I maybe wrong, but I'm not sure the English translation is correct... Where is его in the translation? Why is it their diagnosis?.. Maybe his?

You're right. The problem is that to express the Russian sentence in English properly you need to use a different sentence structure, because the direct translation, "The doctors diagnosed him for a long time", isn't idiomatic English.

I would say "The doctors spent a long time diagnosing him." is the closest you can get.

+1

Originally Posted by scotcher

You're right. The problem is that to express the Russian sentence in English properly you need to use a different sentence structure, because the direct translation, "The doctors diagnosed him for a long time", isn't idiomatic English.

I would say "The doctors spent a long time diagnosing him." is the closest you can get.

The sentence isn't correct in Russian either. Диагностируют болезнь, а не пациента.

Originally Posted by Полуношник

Originally Posted by scotcher

You're right. The problem is that to express the Russian sentence in English properly you need to use a different sentence structure, because the direct translation, "The doctors diagnosed him for a long time", isn't idiomatic English.

I would say "The doctors spent a long time diagnosing him." is the closest you can get.

The sentence isn't correct in Russian either. Диагностируют болезнь, а не пациента.

Fair enough, but couldn't его refer to a (masculine) illness? грипп, or рак, for example?

In which case the English translation would be something like "The doctors spent a long time diagnosing it".

Originally Posted by scotcher

Originally Posted by Полуношник

Originally Posted by scotcher

You're right. The problem is that to express the Russian sentence in English properly you need to use a different sentence structure, because the direct translation, "The doctors diagnosed him for a long time", isn't idiomatic English.

I would say "The doctors spent a long time diagnosing him." is the closest you can get.

The sentence isn't correct in Russian either. Диагностируют болезнь, а не пациента.

Fair enough, but couldn't его refer to a (masculine) illness? грипп, or рак, for example?

In which case the English translation would be something like "The doctors spent a long time diagnosing it".

Wow, this is yet another twister to the translation. Just when I thought I was making some progress .................... seems like it's still a very loooooooooooog way for me to go.