Thread: just trying

Hello. my name is Anatoly. I live in Russia, (North of it: Komi Republic). Did you hear about it?
I'm studying the English language just for pleasure, as a hobby. I will be glad if you help me and correct me.
Tell me about yourselfs. Where do you live? What is your native language? Did you start to learn foreign one? What for? How old are you?

I'm 29 years old and a peasant, a fisher, and a "чистильщик дымоходов" ("pipes cleaner"?, "chemneysweep"? How does it sound in English?)

Hello Anatoly,

To begin with, I will suggest corrections for your mistakes, then I will tell you a little about myself. I'll write in English, so you can see how I write.

Hello.My name is Anatoly. I live in Russia, (North of it: Komi Republic). Did you hear about it?
I'm studying the English language just for pleasure, as a hobby. I will be glad if you help me and correct me.
Tell me about yourselfs. Where do you live? What is your native language? Did you start to learn foreign one? What for? How old are you?

I'm 29 years old and a peasant, a fisher, and a "чистильщик дымоходов" ("pipes cleaner"?, "chemneysweep"? How does it sound in English?)

Hello. My name is Anatoly. I live in the Komi Republic, which is in nothern Russia. Have you heard of it?*
I am studying English for pleasure, as a hobby. I would be very grateful for your help and corrections. Tell me about yourselves**. Where do you live? What is your native language? Are you learning a foreign one, and if so, what for? How old are you?

I'm 29 years old. I am a fisherman.

Everything in red is a mistake. Everything in blue can be said in many different ways. For example:

1. I live in the Komi Republic, which is in Northern Russia.
I live in the Komi Republic, which is in the north of Russia.
I live in in the north of Russia, in the Komi Republic.

2. I would be very grateful for your help and corrections.
I will be very grateful to you for correcting me.

3. Native tongue/language
Mother tongue
Birth language
First language

4. What for? = (В этом случае) почему?

*Have you heard of it? Этот вопрос спрашивает нас, если бы мы знаем, что Коми Республиса (?) существует.

**Very often, when a word ends in " f " or sometimes "fe" in English, it makes its plural in "ves". For example:

Yourself, yourselves (а ещё "ourselves, themselves")
Shelf, shelves.
Elf, elves.
Life, lives.
Knife, knives.
wife, wives.


Hello Anatoly. My name is Jack and I am 19 years old. I live in Nottingham, which is in England. No, I had not heard of the Komi Republic before today . I am studying Russian at university, and have been learning German for about eight years. One day, I hope to live in Germany. My mother tongue is British English, although I speak Welsh with my mother, as she was brought up in Wales. Although she was born in South Wales, she speaks Welsh very well. (Люди на юге Уэльса не очень часто говорят по-валлийски)

I hope that helps you, Anatoly. If I can do anything more to help, do ask. I am sorry, but I do not know the word you were looking for. Perhaps someone else does?

Jack

Thank you very much, Jack, for your answer and for the corrections.

You are studying Russian and have been learning German, and you do speak Welsh... and British English. It means you will know FOUR languages?

How different Welsh and English languages? I guess it has much of common words.

Originally Posted by colonist

How different are Welsh and English _? I guess [s:35nfwzkc]it has[/s:35nfwzkc] they have much of common words (many common words?)

Jack, this is a very common mistake for those whose mother tongue is English or who study Russian after studying English:

Originally Posted by JackBoni

Этот вопрос спрашивает нас, если бы мы знаем, что Коми Республика (?) существует.

I don't know if bla bla bla... is translated as Я не знаю, bla bla bla ли... into Russian. No "если". If you need examples, please ask.

And, in Russian it's not "Коми Республика", but "республика Коми".

Hello Оля and Anatoly.

You are studying Russian and have been learning German, and you _ speak Welsh... and British English. That/which means you will know FOUR languages?

Yes, Anatoly, that's right. I have been studying Russian for a few years, and masterrussian has helped me a lot toward my goal of eventually speaking Russian to a reasonable standard. I read a lot of Russian from various sources, although I do not watch Russian films very often, contrary to Оля's continuous recommendations. I have recently found how easy it is to acquire Russian films - again, as Оля has always maintained - and will start to work through a list of films posted on another thread very soon.

Welsh is a different language from English entirely. Saying that, though, they do have many words in common. А ещё можно сказать "Saying that, though, they do have many cognates".

Оля, the above (first option) is the best way, in my opinion, to get across your previous idea. In this context, the second one sounds okay, but doesn't flow quite as well. You can get by with your variant of "many common words", although I don't think it flows quite as well as the first phrase I used. Also -

Jack, this is a very common mistake for English native speakers/native speakers of Englishor thosewho study Russian after studying English.

Оля, I will start a new thread in the Grammar and Vocabulary section about that. I think I understand now, but I want to make sure. Thank you. Anatoly and Оля, I hope the suggested corrections make sense. Please ask if you'd like explanations.

Jack

Jack, could you please explain why "those whose mother tongue is English" is wrong?

Originally Posted by Оля

Jack, could you please explain why "those whose mother tongue is English" is wrong?

Ой, извиняюсь. Вместо is English я прочитала in English.

Originally Posted by JackBoni

I have recently found how easy it is to acquire Russian films - again, as Оля has always maintained - and will start to work through a list of films posted on another thread very soon. Jack

Jack!

Yes, please come over to the dark side (we have some fresh cookies!) and join our Thread about Films and Book.

Can always use another fresh new person to post their reviews and thoughts about first time watching these films or reading books!

So, come on over! We don't bite! http://masterrussian.net/mforum/view...hp?f=1&t=16413

Rockzmom

Hello Оля,

Your variant is not wrong at all; I apologise that my thinking was not clear. I view my variants to be a little more concise and natural, though. You will hear people say it the way you have here, perhaps even in this context, but I think my variants to be more natural. Do not think, however, that your variant was wrong, because it is not. Lampada, if your comment has anything to do with what I said, I am sorry but I don't understand it.

Jack

Originally Posted by Lampada

Originally Posted by Оля

Jack, could you please explain why "those whose mother tongue is English" is wrong?

Олечка, ты что, шутишь? Разве мы скажем "Те, у кого родной язык по-русски" ?

А разве "those whose mother tongue is English" значит "те, у кого родной язык по-русски"?

Я пыталась сказать "те, у кого родной язык английский".

Я уже исправилась. В спешке увидела что-то другое.

Originally Posted by Оля

And, in Russian it's not "Коми Республика", but "республика Коми".

Здесь оба варианта правильны. Вероятно из-за влияния языка коми. Мы говорим "Республикa Коми" и "Коми Республика"... Both variants are correct here.

Originally Posted by colonist

Both variants are correct here.

So in the Komi Republic only then.

Originally Posted by colonist

Both variants are correct here.

If both variants are correct, then which variant is most common? I assume that if Оля has only seen республика Коми, then that, in turn, must be the most common variant?

Originally Posted by JackBoni

If both variants are correct, then which variant is most common? I assume that if Оля has only seen республика Коми, then that, in turn, must be the most common variant?

In the whole Russia they say "Республика Коми", and it seems like only in the Республика Коми they say "Коми республика".

In the Wiki, you can find the page Республика Коми only.

In the whole Russia they say "Республика Коми", and it seems like only in the Республика Коми they say "Коми республика".

That's right. It's because of influence of Komi language probably.

Oops, sorry guys, but the articles seem to be causing you trouble again.

[quote"Оля"] On Wiki, you can find the page Республика Коми only[/quote]

Here, Оля, the definite article is not needed, to the point that's even considered wrong.

[quote"Оля"]In the whole Russia[/quote]

In this situation, your phrasing sounds slightly out of place to me. It will do, but doesn't sound as natural as it could. Perhaps something like this will do:

Generally in Russia they say "X"
Russians normally say "X"

I think the reason it sounds odd in this context is that you say "in the whole of Russia", but then specify a place where you can also say something else, which sounds contradictory. Apart from that, it does sound slightly odd linguistically.

Hope that helps.

Generally in Russia they say "Республика Коми", and it seems like only in the Республика Коми they say "Коми республика".

I also wouldn't say so. And I'd like to add that it used to be "Коми АССР".

Zaya, I must apologise for my ignorance, but what would "Коми АССР" stand for? I am aware that the well-known acronym "CCCP" stands for Союз Советских Социалистических Республик. What would "Коми АССР" stand for?

Большой спасибо за помощь.

Джек

Большое спасибо за помощь.

"Спасибо" is neuter.

Code:

http://slovari.yandex.ru/dict/bse/article/00036/25800.htm

CCCP" stands for Союз Советских Социалистических Республик

Right. And "A" stands for "Автономная". E. g. АРК means "Автономная Республика Крым".