Essentials of Russian: Reading, conversation, grammar

409 Pages·17.666 MB·Russian-English

by  Gronicka A.V., Bates-Yakobson H.

ESSENTIALS o f
R u s s i a n
READING ^ CONVERSATION GRAMMAR
m m o EDITION
A . Y. G R O N I C K A
Columbia University
H. B A T E S - Y A K O B S O N
George Washington University
PRENTICE-HALL, INC., Englewood Cliffs, N. J.
© 19-18, 1950, 1958, by
PREI^TICE HALL, INC.
Englewood Cliffs, N. J.
ALL RIGHTS HESEBVED. NO PAKT OF THIS BOOK MAY
BE REPRODUCEB IN ANY FORM, BY MIMEOGRAPH
OR ANY OTHER ME.WS, WITHOUT PERMISSION
IN WRITING FROM THE PTJBLISHERS.
Library of Congress
Catalog Card N o.: 58-9831
First printing........................June, 1958
Second printing..............October, 1959
Third printing.................March, 1959
Fourth printing January, 1960
PKINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
28792-C
PREFACE TO THIRD EDITION
The third edition of Essentials of Russian has developed from
intensive use of the earlier editions for a whole decade by colleges
and universities throughout the United States and abroad, as well
as by the United States Armed Forces and by private study groups.
The basic organization and approach of this book have proved their
effectiveness and have been retained. Revisions have been limited
to the clarification of certain rules of grammar; a considerable
shortening of the Common Expressions and Idioms units, especially
those in the more advanced lessons; and the rewriting of four of
the less successful reading selections.
The new reading units offer a survey of Russia’s geography, a
biography of Anton Chekhov, an introduction to the development of
the Russian language, and a brief essay on the Russian Academy
of Sciences. These units, it is felt, are more timely and functional,
as well as better attuned to an “ essentials’’ level, than were the
units they replace.
Further innovations in this edition are the expansion of the
introductory lessons on pronunciation; amplification of the Aspect
lesson, to provide a more gradual presentation of the basic features
of this central phase of the Russian verb system and to introduce
advanced materials that have proved essential for a well rounded
presentation of the conjugation of the Russian verb; addition of
numerous Review Reading and Vocabulary Building units; addition
of a second section to the Translation into Russian units, to afford
a more comprehensive review of vocabulary and a more intensive
drill on grammatical features; inclusion of a completely new Ap­
pendix, which offers a selection of Russian poems, songs, proverbs,
and riddles; incorporation of numerous new key tables in the
original Grammar Appendix; and thorough revision and expansion
of the Index and the Russian-English and English-Russian Vocabu­
laries at the end of the book.
The revisions, and especially the additions and expansions,
should hold the old and gain new friends for Essentials of Russian.
The authors wish to take this occasion to thank their many col­
leagues for constructive contributions to the preparation of this new
edition. They are especially grateful to Professors Rufus W. Mathew-
son, Jr. of Columbia University and Edmund Zawacki, of the Univer­
sity of Wisconsin and his fine staff for numerous suggestions which
have helped greatly to make Essentials of Russian a better book.
Finally, the authors wish to take this opportunity to express their
thanks to Hilde von G-ronicka for her capable and patient assistance
in guiding three editions of the Essentials of Russian through the
press.
A. V. a.
H. B. Y.
PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION
This text is designed for classroom and individual instruction
but can also be used for self-teaching. It has grown, out of the
authors’ experience gained in the Army Intensive Language Courses
and in subsequent experimental classes at colleges and universities.
Emphasis is placed throughout on conversation and reading. At the
same time a concise and systematic analysis of the Essentials of
Russian Grammar has been provided, in order to solidify and to
lend permanence to the results achieved by the direct approach.
The text is divided into thirty lessons preceded by two intro­
ductory units which set forth the Russian printed and cursive letters
and give their approximate phonetic values. Each lesson is subdivided
into seven closely interrelated parts :
I : Common Expressions and Idioms
II ; Eeading Exercise
III; Vocabulary
IV: Grammar
V : Questions
VI: Grammar Exercise
VII : Translation into Eussian
The Beading Exercises (II) are the core around which each
lesson is organized. They contain all the new grammar and vocab­
ulary introduced in each lesson. A basic principle of the text is to
introduce the student to all new material first in the context of the
Beading Exercise and only then have him turn to the explanation
and systematic treatment of the material given in the Grammar
section and the Vocabulary. Common Expressions, idioms, and
grammatical features introduced in the Reading Exercise for the
first time are given in bold type beginning with Lesson 2.
The Reading Exercises are carefully graded and lead the student
from the simple dialogue of the first lesson to selections from the
works of N. Nekrassov, L. Tolstoï, A. Pushkin, M. Gorkii, and N. Si­
monov. They present living, idiomatic Russian speech of inherent
interest and functional value and develop in the student that feeling
for the language which is indispensable for freedom in conversation
and for reading enjoyment.
vi
PREFACE vii
The Questions (V) are especially designed to develop and test
the student’s detailed knowledge of the Reading Exercises. The
student should strive to answer all questions in complete sentences,
freely referring to the Reading on which the questions are based.
The Common Expressions and Idioms (I) contribute that essent­
ial quality of the Russian language which cannot be caught up and
studied in grammatical rules. They should be memorized and applied
in short conversations developed by the student with the help of the
teacher.
The Vocabulary (III) of the first fifteen lessons is limited to
between 20 and 30 words per lesson and in the subsequent lessons to
between 30 and 40. Thus the text is built up on a total vocabulary
not exceeding 1200 words.^ In spite of its rigid limitation in quantity,
this basic vocabulary is representative of the literary Russian
language, as well as of the everyday conversation idiom. The vocab­
ulary of any one lesson is repeated in subsequent ones. Attention
is also called to the special treatment of the verb. Instead of
burdening the student with classifications, the authors give those
verbs which da not follow exactly the basiic pattern of the first or
second conjugation (читать or говорйть) in four “ key” forms.
Thus the student is at once equipped with functionally useful verb-
forms and is enabled to derive other conjugational forms as the need
for them arises.^
The Grammar Sections (IV ) introduce in concise, tabular form
essential grammatical elements. Their discussion should develop out of
the analysis of the Reading Exercise. They should never be treated
as an unrelated, theoretical unit.
The student’s active command of grammar is to be further
developed and tested with the help of the Grammar Exercises (Y I).
These are keyed to the grammar units and utilize the newest peda­
gogical devices to provide the student with the maximum of effective
practice.
The Translation Sentences (V II) serve as a final, overall review
of the entire lesson. They are constructed to include all the features
of the lesson from common expressions to grammatical detail. At the
same time they aim to develop the student’s ability to render in
Russian an organically connected compositional unit.
The Vocabulary-Building sections are placed at convenient
intervals to help the student acquire an adequate vocabulary. They
1 Verb aspects are counted as one vocabulary unit.
2 The aspects of the Russian verb are presented in accordance
with the method used by Ooshakov in his authoritative^ work. A. П.
Ушаков, Толковый Словарь Русского Языка, ОГИЗ, Москва, 1940.
viii PREFACE
indicate to the student some convenient means of attaining this
important goal. They must not be confused with so-called word-
building.”
The two introductory lessons contain a brief analysis of the
Russian sound system. Experience has shown that the beg-inner
profits little and is often discouraged by a lengthy theoretical descrip­
tion and classification of Russian sounds. Competent guidance by an
experienced teacher throughout the course, intelligent imitation of
native speakers, frequent listening to recorded speech, in brief,
concrete example rather than abstract analysis have proved to be
the effective means of establishing good pronunciation habits. For
this reason the authors have decided to encumber their text as little
as possible with technical explanations of Russian sounds even at the
risk of being criticized for inaccuracy and incompleteness. One basic
departure from the formal method of exposition, dictated by peda­
gogical and functional considerations, must be pointed out. The
authors have decided not to classify consonants into “ hard’' and
“ soft.” The “ hardness” or “ softness” of a consonant is made to
depend on the absence or presence of a “ soft” vowel directly after
the consonant. Inadequate as this manner of presentation certainly
is from the linguist’s point of view, it has proved altogether adequate
to impart satisfactory pronunciation habits. Moreover, it has the
great advantage of being concise and far less confusing and discour­
aging to the beginner. It was therefore adopted in keeping with the
author’s central aim: to provide student and teacher with the
simplest and most concise exposition of Russian sounds. Those
interested in a thoroughgoing analysis of the Russian sound system
are referred to the following texts:
S. C. Boyanus, A Manual of Russian Pronunciation, London,
1935,
S. C. Boyanus and N. B. Jopson, Spoken Russian, London, 1939.
In conclusion the authors wish to express their gratitude to
Professors Ernest J. Simmons and Roman Jakobson and Mr. Leon
Stilman of Columbia University, as well as to Professor Francis J.
Whitfield of the University of Chicago, for their encouragement and
many valuable suggestions.
A. V. G.
II. B. Y.
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION I .................................................................. 1
The Russian alphabet—System, of handwriting’—Capitaliza­
tion—Punctuation— Syllabification—Stress
INTRODUCTION II ................................................... 11
Principal rules of pronunciation—Principal forms of address
— Наш первый разговор “ Our first conversation”
FIRST LESSON ....................................................................... 20
Present tense af “ to be"—Question form—Negative sen­
tence— Adverb— Conjunctions a and и
SECOND LESSON .................................................................... 24
Gender of nouns—Nominative case; subject and predicate
noujL—Article—Pronouns and pronoun-adj ectives он, этот,
тот, мой
REFERENCE TABLE I: 'Ca^es .......................................... 30
REFERENCE TABLE II: Vowel Mutation Rules................ 31
THIRD LESSON ..................................................................... 32
Accusative singular of masculines and neuters—Indeclinable
neuters—Present tense of the first conjugation—Double nega­
tive—Use of что
FOURTH LESSON .................................................................... 38
Prepositional singular of masculines and neuters—Preposi­
tions B, на, о— Verbs кушать, есть “ to eat”—Use of где
and когда—Есть “ there is,” “ there are”
FIFTH LESSON ....................................................................... M
Prepositions B, на—Present tense of the “ irregular” verbs
класть, жить, идти, ехать
SIXTH LESSON ....................................................................... 51
Genitive singular of masculines and neuters—Negative ex­
pression with the genitive—сколько, мало, много with the
genitive—Prepositions без, после, у — Translation of “ to
have” —Verbs мочь, уметь “ to be able”
SEVENTH LESSON ................................................................ 59
Dative singular of masculines and neuters; preposition к
(ко)— ^Nominative and accusative singular of adjectives—
Давать “ to give”
ix
X CONTENTS
EIGHTH LESSON .................................................................._• 66
Instrumental singular of masculines and neuters—Preposi­
tions, мёжду, над, пёред, с (со)—Present tense of the
second conjugation—The verbs ходить and ёздить—
Review of the singular declension of masculines and neuters
NINTH LESSON .............................................................._........ 74
Dative and prepositional of feminine nouns and adjectives—
Хотёть “ to want to”— Omission of personal pronouns
TENTH LESSON ................................................................. 80
Genitive singular of feminine nouns and adjectives—Хотёть
‘‘to want to,” ждать “ to wait (for)” — Prepositions для,
из, около, от—Cardinal numerals 1-4
ELEVENTH LESSON ............................................................ 87
Accusative singular of feminine nouns and adjectives—Pre­
positions чёрез, за, под—Past tense ; translation of “ to
have” (past)
TWELFTH LESSON ............................................................... 94
Instrumental singular of feminine nouns and adjectives—Pre­
positions за, под, с (со)—Keview of feminine singular noun
and adjective declensions and of prepositions
THIRTEENTH LESSON ........................................................ 104
“ Hard” adjective singular declension—Imperative mood—
Time expressions
FOURTEENTH LESSON ........................................................ 113
“ Soft” adjective singular declension—Possessive pronoun-
adjective singular declension—Future tense ; translation of
“ to have’’ (future ; abstract)
FIFTEENTH LESSON ............................................................ 121
Singular declension of masculines in -ok and -ец—Short
form of the adjective—Declension of the interrogative pro­
noun—Reflexive verb
SIXTEENTH LESSON ............................................................ 130
Part A: Basic characteristics of the aspects—Sample sen­
tences—Aspect-Tense Table—Perfectives with the
prefix no
Part B: Further functions of the perfective aspect—Forma­
tion of the perfective aspect—The verbs ходить and
ёздить—The verbs говорйть and сказать—Imper-
fective in the negative command
SEVENTEENTH LESSON ..................................................... 147
Peculiarities in the singular masculine and neuter declensions ;
prepositional in -у; neuters in -мя—Declension of personal
pronouns—Impersonal expressions (with dative)
CONTENTS si
EIGHTEENTH LESSON ........................................................ 158
Plural declension of the masculine, neuter, and feminine
nouns—Declensional peculiarities of the masculine noun: plural
in -a; irregular genitive plural—Impersonal expressions
(cont.)— Cardinals 5-12 and expressions of quantity (много,
мало, сколько)
NINETEENTH LESSON ........................................................ 169
Irregularities in the plural declension of masculine nouns
(-анин, -ЯНИН; irregular plural)—Plural declension of ad­
jectives, hard and soft—Numerals (ordinals 1-12, fractions)
and time expressions (clock)
TW ENTIETH LESSON .......................................................... 181
Declensional peculiarities of the neuter noun in the plural:
plurals in -a; in -и; genitive infix; plural of озеро—Plural
of the possessive pronoun-adjective; pronoun-ad j ectives та­
кой, какой, который, чей—Date expressions
TWENTY-FIRST LESSON ..................................................... 191
Plural of брат, стул, перо, дерево, лист, друг, сын, муж;
плечо, деньги; neuters in -мя—Ргonoun-adjectives этот,
тот—Verbs быть, бывать, становиться, стать (with
instrumental)—Declension of одйн; adjectives with cardinal
numerals
TWENTY-SECOND LESSON ................................................. 203
Masculine nouns ending in -a or -я—The reflexive pronoun
себя and the emphatic сам—Translation of “ let me, us, him,
• them",* use of the infinitive in the imperative mood; infinitive
with the dative rendering “ have to,” “ am to”—Declension
of the feminine noun in the plural (Review)
TWENTY-THIRD LESSON ................................................... 213
Genitive plural infix о or e in feminine nouns; declensions of
мать and дочь—Adjectives used as nouns—Comparison of
adjectives and adverbs: comparative
TWENTY-FOURTH LESSON ............................................... 223
Comparison of adjectives and adverbs: superlative—Pronoun-
adjective весь— Cardinals and ordinals 13-40; summary of
case requirements after cardinals
TW ENTY-FIFTH LESSON ..................................................... 236
Double imperfective verbs (indeterminate, determinate)—Re­
ciprocal pronoun, друг друга—Expressions of age— Cardinals
and ordinals 50-100
TW ENTY-SIXTH LESSON ..................................................... 249
Declension of 66a, “ both”— Cardinals and ordinals 100-1 mil­
lion; declension of cardinals; approximation; addition, sub-
Xll CONTENTS
TWENTY-SIXTH LESSON {Gont.)
traction, multiplication, division j collective numerals—Pre­
positions : review and supplement
TWENTY-SEVENTH LESSON .............................................. 260
Suffixes -TO, -HHdyAb; prefix hh Subjunctive; unreal con­
dition ; tense seqúense—Date expressions
TWENTY-EIGHTH LESSON ................................................. 271
Subjunctive: purpose, wish, obligation, generalization—
Adverbial participle—Conjunctions
TWENTY-NINTH LESSON ..................................................... 281
Relative pronouns—Present and past active participle
THIRTIETH LESSON ............................................................ 293
Present and past passive participles—Passive voice
APPENDIX I ........................................................................... 306
APPENDIX II ........................................................................... 320
RUSSIAN-ENGLISH VOCABULARY ................................... 355
ENGLISH-RUSSIAN VOCABULARY ................................... 374
INDEX ....................................................................................... 393