☰ Contents · Russian language

Definite-personal and indefinite-personal sentences

Lessons 17–18 · 2 lessons · M. E. Rozhnova, U. T. Yaminova. Russian Language, Grade 8 (textbook for general secondary schools with Uzbek and other languages of instruction), 2nd revised edition. “Uzbekistan” Publishing and Printing Creative House, Tashkent, 2019
17

§ 17. The action of a subject that can be guessed: the definite-personal sentence

Textbook: pp. 60–63
GoalKnow what a one-member sentence is; find and build definite-personal sentences.
New words
односоставное предложение · bir bosh bo‘lakli gapопределённо-личное предложение · aniq shaxsli gapпервое лицо · 1-shaxsвторое лицо · 2-shaxs
Explanation

A simple sentence that has only one main member (plus its secondary members) is a one-member sentence («односоставное предложение»): the second main member is not needed for the meaning. A definite-personal sentence («определённо-личное предложение») talks about the action of the speaker (first person) or the listener (second person). The predicate is a verb in the first or second person, singular or plural: «Люблю осень», «Знаешь дорогу?», «Читайте внимательно!». No subject is needed because the verb ending shows the person. A pronoun can be added («Я люблю осень»), but then the sentence becomes two-member. Imperative forms belong here too: «Принеси словарь».

Worked examples
«Люблю гулять по вечернему парку. Поедем в субботу на озеро! Знаешь, где стоит остановка?» — predicates: «люблю» (1st person), «поедем» (1st plural), «знаешь» (2nd person).
Proverb: «Семь раз отмерь, один раз отрежь». Both verbs are second-person imperatives and there is no subject — the form of a definite-personal sentence, but with a general meaning: the advice is for everyone.
Class activity

“Without a subject”. The teacher says a two-member sentence («Я пишу письмо»); pupils drop the subject to make a definite-personal sentence («Пишу письмо»).

Practice
1
Find the definite-personal sentences: «Он читает», «Читаю книгу», «Звоните мне вечером».
2
Rewrite dropping the subjects: «Я напишу тебе вечером, а ты ответишь утром».
3
Which person and number: «Приходите завтра», «Пойдём в кино», «Любишь музыку?»
4
Why does «Люблю осень» need no subject?