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Thread: Prepositional phrases

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    Prepositional phrases

    I am confused about a particular point of syntax. To translate an English phrase as "instead of reading," do you say vmeste chitat', vmeste togo, kak chitat', or something completely different? Thanks.

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    Re: Prepositional phrases

    Quote Originally Posted by challenger
    I am confused about a particular point of syntax. To translate an English phrase as "instead of reading," do you say vmeste chitat', vmeste togo, kak chitat', or something completely different? Thanks.
    We say: "вместо того, чтобы читать" or simply: "вместо чтения".
    Could you please occasionally correct my stupid errors!
    Korrigiert bitte ab und zu meine dummen Fehler!

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    Ohhh, shtobi! Thanks

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    Hmm...is that the rule for all prepositions with the infinitive?

    На нашей гостинице гость может делать то, что хочет, исключая то, чтобы (с исключением того, чтобы) в бассейне плавать голый.

    Is that right? Would I ever do it differently?

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    Quote Originally Posted by challenger
    В нашей гостинице гость может делать то, что хочет, исключая плавание в бассейне в голом виде.
    OR:
    ...за исключением того, чтобы плавать в бассейне голым.

    "исключая то, чтобы" - так сказать нельзя.
    In Russian, all nationalities and their corresponding languages start with a lower-case letter.

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    So whether I use a gerund like плавание or a phrase like то, чтобы плавать depends on the preposition? And are those the only two ways to go about it?

    If you don't mind, this raises another question. You put "плавать голым." But Pushkin wrote: "она мёртвая упала." This startled me, because I thought the instrumental case had to be used. Is Pushkin's usage simply archaic?

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    Quote Originally Posted by challenger
    If you don't mind, this raises another question. You put "плавать голым." But Pushkin wrote: "она мёртвая упала."
    Он плавает голый - you can say so.
    But: Нельзя плавать голым / Нельзя плавать голыми.

    You can use:
    a verb not in the infinitive + adjective in the i.c. or in n.c.
    a verb in the infinitive + adjective in the i.c. (only)
    In Russian, all nationalities and their corresponding languages start with a lower-case letter.

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    Quote Originally Posted by challenger
    So whether I use a gerund like плавание
    Hm, I don't think "плавание" is a gerund. For me it's a verbal substantive.
    In Russian, all nationalities and their corresponding languages start with a lower-case letter.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Оля
    Quote Originally Posted by challenger
    So whether I use a gerund like плавание
    Hm, I don't think "плавание" is a gerund. For me it's a verbal substantive.
    Only adjectives can be "substantive," and gerunds are verbal adjectives. But as for the other, how do I know when it's alright to use то, чтобы + inf and when it isn't?

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    Quote Originally Posted by challenger
    Only adjectives can be "substantive," and gerunds are verbal adjectives.
    В русском языке есть словосочетание "отглагольное существительное", т.е. "verbal substantive".

    Quote Originally Posted by challenger
    But as for the other, how do I know when it's alright to use то, чтобы + inf and when it isn't?
    I think it depends on the context. Show me some examples.

    P.S.
    "исключая плавание в голом виде" = "за исключением того, чтобы плавать в голом виде."
    It has the same sense.
    In Russian, all nationalities and their corresponding languages start with a lower-case letter.

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