Thread: grammar tutor for beginner

hey i'm a 15 y/o aussie chick wanting someone to teach me russian grammar... i'm ok at learning vocab on my own but can't seem to find any grammar sites that i understand... i speak italian if that helps

I have been studying Russian for five years and have a Russian Major at my university. I am qualified enough to tutor beginning russian students....

Originally Posted by Светлана Ежова

I have been studying Russian for five years and have a Russian Major at my university. I am qualified enough to tutor beginning russian students....

That's what you get from a canadian education.

Originally Posted by Светлана Ежова

I have been studying Russian for five years and have a Russian Major at my university. I am qualified enough to tutor beginning russian students....

Hmm.


Well

Originally Posted by Светлана Ежова

Мне нада идти в туалет.

Originally Posted by Светлана Ежова

Я хотела сказать ети слова, но я не умела.

Originally Posted by Светлана Ежова

Кстати я могу печатать по-русски теперь!

Originally Posted by Светлана Ежова

Спасиба за поможете меня!

So, what university did you go to?

Hey, BJ Hendy, I can help you out, but it might be more efficient if I gave you a few good book recs. I've got a few nifty grammar handbooks at home. I'll report back with the author/publisher info on a few of them tomorrow.

I have been studying Russian for five years and have a Russian Major at my university. I am qualified enough to tutor beginning russian students....


Hmm.


Well

Светлана Ежова wrote:
Мне нада идти в туалет.


Светлана Ежова wrote:

Я хотела сказать ети слова, но я не умела.


Светлана Ежова wrote:
Кстати я могу печатать по-русски теперь!


Светлана Ежова wrote:

Спасиба за поможете меня!


So, what university did you go to?

SY: I don't give out what university I went to online. I am worried about evil people who prowl the internet.
_________________
By the way, don't listen to him! Dogboy, honestly, OMG! I don't believe you. So, you point out two or three mistakes I made when I typed some Russian, (ignoring the fact that I couldn't type any anyway, seeing as how I never learned how until some very kind souls here helped me and so couldn't show you how good I was with russian), and then make a judgement on that that I couldn't tutor worth baloney. If that's what you're thinking, Honestly now. I just love the way you feel you can just jump to conclusions (just like that, mind you) like a flea on a hot stove and think I wouldn't make a good tutor when you know absolutely nothing about me. (hear my sarcasm here) You don't know me from adam so how can you judge? You don't know my credibility. I actually have been helping/tutoring students of the Russian language for years now. And every one of them did really well when I helped them. Everyone who knows me says I speak good Russian. I was taught by 4 different Russians (two Irinas, a Dmitri, and an Inessa). In addition I have had three different excellent Russian professors who taught me as well. Ok.
In addition, you brought up the fact that I wasn't sure at first how to say спасибо за помочь. That is completely irrelevant! First of all, who'd teach смочь, мочь, or помочь to first year Russian students? It is simply too advanced. At my university that is simply not done. It wasn't introduced until second year Russian at my university. Give me a break!
Further, it seems to me that you have been hostile to me from the moments I came here to masterrussian.net. You made fun of me at first, then apologized. Then, you congratulate me on repeating something that was already said, like when someone wanted to know how to say "I am cold" in russian, despite the fact that I am still fairly new here and I was only trying to help. The others answered before me and I was not aware of that. Now, you do this. Yes, you know a lot more Russian than I do. I actually admire you for it. But why pick on me? What did I do to you? Just because I still make mistakes does not mean that I am not qualified to tutor. Что с вами?! Do you, like, have a superiority complex or something?

Originally Posted by Светлана Ежова

In addition, you brought up the fact that I wasn't sure at first how to say спасибо за помочь. That is completely irrelevant! First of all, who'd teach смочь, мочь, or помочь to first year Russian students?

My teacher - Bachelor of Arts - Russian Language and Lit. Masters - Slavic Languages

If you have studied it for 5 years and have obtained a degree, you should have learned those in second year right? Why didn't you?

wtf is so hard about мочь ? It's not anymore complicated than 2nd declensions. Будить бужу ... etc...


All i am saying is спасиба за поможете or whatever you said is not a mistake that a person with your russian credentials would make. I mean, lindsay only has a 4 year degree in russian, and maybe she wasn't tuaght by "real" russians like you, and maybe she only spend 6 months in "sankt peterburg". Whatever that is . But I don't think you'll see her make a mistake like that...

You by all means could be wonderful speaker of Russian, but from what you have displayed so far, i was just a little "iffy."


Ok =). I'll give you a shot.

I'm still confused on when to use Быть + Instrumental.

When people say thinks like

Я с тобой была счастьливая
я была страная
я буду вечная ....

Etc...

And then they say things like..

она была прекрасной студенткой!
он будет чудесным водолазом.

I just don't see the diffrence. Plz, learn me =)

My teacher - Bachelor of Arts - Russian Language and Lit. Masters - Slavic Languages

SY: My teachers: Bachelor of arts, then masters, now they have had their PhD's for years and are Doctors of Russian whatever.

If you have studied it for 5 years and have obtained a degree, you should have learned those in second year right? Why didn't you?

SY: I have studied Russian for five years. I never said I have a degree. I am an undergrad in my third year. But I do have my major in the language. And the reason I've not graduated yet is because I don't take a full courseload a semester. I do 3 courses a semester, not 5.
BTW, I did learn those in second year. That is the way my very excellent Russian prof teaches. But, since I have finished my major, I am doing other courses that have nothing to do with Russian language and so I've been extremely busy. This is why I have been out of practice for a while. I was a little rusty. But now the old russian is back up to scratch and I've revived it. I am now learning new things now. And still tutoring some first year Russian student. And my colleague and classmate Кирилл helps me to not forget my Russian anymore. We speak only in Russian.We're pretty evil. We pass notes back and forth to each other in class! Of course we do it before the prof walks in the door and starts to teach. I love my classes so much I wouldn't dare miss them I hope you enjoyed school as well!
__

wow i haven't been on here for so long. sorry... i started this topic then forgot about it. books would be good lindyai (I'm not sure if that's what your name ac tually says, i've been so busy i haven't gone over the alphabet in a while), i've looked for them but for some reason Australian book stores think people don't want to learn Russian and my library only has tapes for people who have some idea of russian grammar (i have absolutely none whatsoever). well whatever help anyone can give me i'd be grateful for... i should spend more time on learning Russian

ciao mi amici

To BJHendy - there is a section of the forum for newbies/beginners. Read and inwardly digest, is my advice. But I can give you a little synopsis: Buy "the New Penguin Russian Course" by Nicholas J Brown.

To Dogboy: Am I allowed to answer?

I do think that Svetlana has enough knowledge to teach beginners. She didn't say she would teach advanced higher parts, and I'm not saying that she can't because I don't know her abilities. She seems to know enough and best of call, she likes it! And since she's been helping people these five years, as she said, I think she is capable of it. And of course she'll make mistakes here and there. Who doesn't? And I understand mistakes when teaching a person Russian(or any language) can be missleading, but she says she's done it before(tutoring beginners) so I think she can.

Originally Posted by Светлана Ежова

We're pretty evil. We pass notes back and forth to each other in class! Of course we do it before the prof walks in the door and starts to teach.

Ok, I'm not trying to talk crap, but I guess that Canadian "Evil" means something different from American "Evil." I wish the people around here were evil like that, rather than the students we have going to some of the schools here.
BTW. 5 years. That's a really long time-no joke. Dogboy, how long have you been learning? Didn't you teach some/all (?) of it yourself? Pretty cool-I say.
Oh, and I have the Penguin book. Good book. Good book.

Dogboy and I have been studying Russian for about the same amount of time. I started studying it in Fall 2002, as a part of my high school's Foreign Language program. Dogboy studies independently. I sux0r. He is teh uber 1337. But yeah, 5 years is a really long time to study a language intensively without immense progress.

Originally Posted by BJ Hendy

wow i haven't been on here for so long. sorry... i started this topic then forgot about it. books would be good lindyai (I'm not sure if that's what your name ac tually says, i've been so busy i haven't gone over the alphabet in a while), i've looked for them but for some reason Australian book stores think people don't want to learn Russian and my library only has tapes for people who have some idea of russian grammar (i have absolutely none whatsoever). well whatever help anyone can give me i'd be grateful for... i should spend more time on learning Russian

ciao mi amici

Hm. Does Amazon.com (or a simliar service) deliver to Australia?

wtf is so hard about мочь ? It's not anymore complicated than 2nd declensions. Будить бужу ... etc...

SY: I love a challenge....

Sorry, I cannot type Russian here because I am not at home now I am at university and this computer has no Russian keyboard and I'm not allowed to put one in! So please forgive all my bad transliterations....
I only got your message today, Dogboy.
"Moch" i a bit more complicated than a regular noun because it is irregular conjugation. Therefore I would begin with regular conjugation first then work up to some irregular and I would begin that with the verb "to want." That's "WTF" about "moch".


All i am saying is спасиба за поможете or whatever you said is not a mistake that a person with your russian credentials would make. I mean, lindsay only has a 4 year degree in russian, and maybe she wasn't tuaght by "real" russians like you, and maybe she only spend 6 months in "sankt peterburg". Whatever that is . But I don't think you'll see her make a mistake like that...

SY: Even if she did I would never condemn her for it. I mean, Good God, I still make grammar mistakes in English and I am a native speaker of it! Just because someone makes a few mistakes does not make them unqualified. I'll bet you "decyat kopeek" that Lindsay does indeed make mistakes with Russian.

You by all means could be wonderful speaker of Russian, but from what you have displayed so far, i was just a little "iffy."

SY: Well don't jump to conclusions when you don't know someone. It makes no sense.


Ok =). I'll give you a shot.

I'm still confused on when to use Быть + Instrumental.

When people say thinks like

Я с тобой была счастьливая

SY: I found your "intentional" spelling mistakes in this first one

я была страная

SY: Ditto with this second one

я буду вечная ....

You never gave me any nouns to use. Give me nouns then I'll tell you

Etc...

And then they say things like..

она была прекрасной студенткой!
он будет чудесным водолазом.

I just don't see the diffrence. Plz, learn me =)

You used the instrumental case here because these aren't proper nouns (with capital letters). Like when you say "he was Vladimir" you wouldn't use the instrumental case. I mean you can, but it not really used. You use the instrumental case to say something like "he was a wonderful scuba diver" but scuba diver is not a proper noun. So it goes like you wrote. водолазом.

With the first bunch you gave me you just put in a adjective you never gave me any nouns. Like I said give me nouns then I'll tell you whether I'd use the instrumental case or not.
_________________

Thanks for your sweet comments, Evgenia!

"Moch" i a bit more complicated than a regular noun

I meant to say verb. Oops.

"Moch" i a bit more complicated than a regular noun

I meant to say verb. Oops.

Originally Posted by Светлана Ежова

Therefore I would begin with regular conjugation first then work up to some irregular and I would begin that with the verb "to want." That's "WTF" about "moch".

My class learned 'to want' within the first quarter.

You used the instrumental case here because these aren't proper nouns (with capital letters). Like when you say "he was Vladimir" you wouldn't use the instrumental case. I mean you can, but it not really used.

You can and do. When you were something or someone you use instrumental. The problem is that nobody ever says that they were Vladimir, but rather that they were young, or a scuba diver.