(no subject)

[clownshoes.livejournal.com]

For an assignment for my Russian class, my teachers asks that we replace the verb ходить by the verb быть (and visa-versa), and to change the case of the nouns following the verb. The example she gives is "Он был на вечере. --> Он ходил на вечер."

This confused me a little bit, but now I think I understand what she wants. So... am I doing it right?

1. На прошлой неделе он ходил в Эрмитаж. ---> На прошлой неделе он был в Эрмитаже.
2. Где ты был вчера вечером? Я был на Арбате. ---> Где ты ходил вчера вечером? Я ходил на Арбат.

Comments

[leonya.livejournal.com]

Never heard the word whither. In today's English, where is often followed by prepositions at or to, which convey the meaning more clearly. Like, where are you at? or where are you going to?

[nadyezhda.livejournal.com]

yes, whither is an archaic term which closely approximates "kuda." I'm a geek, which is why I use it. It was helpful *for me*; I'm not saying other people can't use whatever works for them.

By the way, "where are you at?" is grammatically incorrect. The "at" is unnecessary.

[leonya.livejournal.com]

By the way, "where are you at?" is grammatically incorrect. The "at" is unnecessary

It might be unnecessary, but it is used quite extensively, which means someone does find it necessary. Such a use logically follows from the ambiguity of the word "where".

[nadyezhda.livejournal.com]

so what you're saying is you're not a prescriptivist. That's fine, as long as you don't mind me pointing out that it's still wrong.

[leonya.livejournal.com]

I'm just of the opinion that if certain words/expression are used extensively, it makes their usage acceptable (i.e. right:))

[nadyezhda.livejournal.com]

"east is east, and west is west, and never the twain shall meet." :) Linguists (and language geeks) need SOMETHING to argue about!

[leonya.livejournal.com]

can't argue with that