Overview
Main description
Understand and use Russian grammar with confidence
Don't worry if you don't know a lot about Russian grammar! Essential Russian Grammar is an up-to-date introduction to Russian grammar, with lots of examples to illustrate each point. Unlike more traditional grammars, Essential Russian Grammar is structured so that you can look up language forms according to what you want to say, even if you don't know the grammatical term for them.
Each of the 22 units contains exercises for you to practice what you have learned, with an answer key for instant feedback.
Table of contents
Meet the author / Only got a minute? / Only got 5 minutes? / Only got 10 minutes? / Introduction / Getting started / The Cyrillic alphabet / The stressed syllable / Spelling rules / Ten things to remember / Nouns / Using nouns / Gender of nouns / Cases / Nominative case – singular / Nominative case – plural / Nominative case – irregular plurals / Accusative case – singular / Accusative case – plural / Accusative case – irregular plurals / Genitive case – singular / Genitive case – plural / Genitive case – irregular plurals / Dative case – singular / Dative case – plural / Instrumental case – singular / Instrumental case – plural / Prepositional case – singular / Prepositional case – plural / Six-case summary / Ten things to remember / Adjectives (1) / Using adjectives / Cases and groups of adjectives / Unstressed adjectives (nominative singular and plural) / Stressed adjectives (nominative singular and plural) / Soft adjectives / Possessive adjectives (nominative singular and plural) / Reflexive possessive adjectives (nominative singular and plural) / Accusative singular of adjectives / Accusative plural of adjectives / Genitive singular of adjectives / Genitive plural of adjectives / Dative singular of adjectives / Dative plural of adjectives / Instrumental singular of adjectives / Instrumental plural of adjectives / Prepositional singular of adjectives / Prepositional plural of adjectives / Ten things to remember / Adjectives (2) / Long and short forms of adjectives / Comparative adjectives – long form / Comparative adjectives – short form / Comparative constructions with adjectives / Superlative adjectives / Ten things to remember / Adverbs / Adverbs of manner / Adverbs of time, place and extent / Comparative adverbs / Superlative adverbs / Ten things to remember / Numerals / Cardinal numerals / Cardinal numerals – case endings / Using cardinal numerals with nouns and adjectives / Ordinal numerals / Telling the time / Dealing with dates / Quantities, age and distance / Ten things to remember / Pronouns / Personal pronouns / Possessive pronouns / Interrogative pronouns / Demonstrative pronouns / Determinative pronouns / Reflexive pronouns / Relative pronouns / Indefinite pronouns / Ten things to remember / Verbs (1) / Using verbs: the infinitive and the present tense / Regular present tense / Consonant changes in the present tense / Irregular present tense / The present tense of to be, to have, to be able, to want / The present tense of reflexive verbs / Ten things to remember / Verbs (2) / Using verbs: the future and past tenses; / Compound future / Simple future / Imperfective past / Perfective past / Ten things to remember / Verbs (3) / Verbs of motion / Conditions / Imperatives (commands) / Negatives / Impersonal constructions / Indirect statement and question / Indirect command, wish and purpose (subjunctive) / Conjunctions / Ten things to remember / Prepositions / Using prepositions / Prepositions: place / Prepositions: motion and direction / Time / Setting the scene / Prepositions which follow verbs / Ten things to remember / Taking it further / Key to exercises / Glossary of grammatical terms
Author comments
Daphne West has taught Russian for more than thirty years and is the author of six Russian courses for adults and students. She is a recipient of the Pushkin Medal for contributions to the teaching of Russian.
