Essentials of Russian

424 Pages·1969·73.433 MB·English

by  Andre Von Gronicka, Helen Bates-Yakobson

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, A New ebtTloN OF ONe
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A.Nb spokeN RUSSIAN. This
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is the latest edition of one of
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the n1ost successful guides ever pub
lished for mastery of the Russian
language. This book offers a clear
cut, systen1atic approach to the gram
n1ar and usage of a living language.
It presents the n1eans to a thorough
acquaintance with written and con
versational Russian.
\Vhile the basic organization of the
book remains the same, this new edi
tion is n1arked by important revisions,
spot corrections, and a general updat
ing of the book. There is a clearer, ApxaHrC!lbCK
more comprehensive treatment of the
Russian Verb-Aspects, stressing the
various methods of their formation
and setting forth the various shadings
of their meaning in different contexts.
A nev, section is introduced that ex
amines the verbs of motion.
Systematic readings develop the
Caep.a.110BCK
grammar and vocabulary, and intro
duce the Russian idiom in a simple
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process of step-by-step exercises.
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The effective methods of pronuncia
,
_,,
tion introduced in this text have been
fortified by more ample, methodo
logically sound exercises. Examples of
Russian script have been added pro
viding for a more efficient introduc
tion of the student to the proper
habits of writing the Russian language.
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1'1 any valuable reference tables,
additional maps as illustrative ma
terials for reading units on Russian
geography, as well as striking fron
tispiece photos of Chekov and
(continued on back flap)
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Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2010
http://www.archive.org/details/essentialsofrussOOgron
•
RUSSIAN
esseNTiAls OF
The Bettmann Archive
LEO TOLSTOY
The Bettmann Archive
ANTON CHEKOV
ESSENTiALS Of
•
R U S S I A N
FOURTH EDITION
A. GRONiC1,A
V.
University of Pennsylvania
h.
BATES-YA1,0bSON
George Washington University
Prentice-Hall, Inc. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
PRENTICE-HALL INTERNATIONAL, INC., London
PRENTICE-HALL OF AUSTRALIA, PTY., LTD., Sydney
PRENTICE-HALL OF CANADA, LTD., Toronto
PRENTICE-HALL OF INDIA (PRIVATE) LTD., New Delhi
PRENTICE-HALL OF JAPAN, INC., Tokyo
s.
PRENTICE-HALL DE M EXICO, A ., Mexico City
© 1948, 1950, 1958, 1964
by PRENTICE-HALL, INC.
Englewood Cliffs, N. J.
All rights reserved. No part of
this book may be reproduced in
any form, by mimeograph or any
other means, without permission
in writing from the publisher.
Current printing (last digit):
11 10 9
Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 64-14018
Printed in the United States of America
C-28770
PREFACE
This fourth edition of the Essentials of Russian has developed fron1
the text's intensi,·e and extensive use by colleges and universities through
out the United States, by institutions of higher education abroad, by the
United States Armed Forces Institute, by individual study groups, and
on radio and television programs. The basic organization and approach
of this book have proved their effectiveness and ha,·e been retained.
Important re\'isions in this new edition center the Sixteenth
011
Lesson, aiming at a clearer, 111ore systematic and comprehensive presen
tation of the Aspects of the Russian Verb. In Part B of this lesson, the
verbs have been arranged in a novel fashion according to the type of their
aspect-formation, an arrange111ent that is certain to facilitate greatly their
memorization. The ,·arious shadings of meaning of the perfective verbs
ha\'e been brought into far sharper focus by linking then, to the 111eaning
and function of the prefixes by 1neans of which they are formed. The
verbs of motion have been presented in greater depth in a separate
gramn1ar unit.
In close confonnity with these changes and additions, the reading
units and exercises of this lesson have been recast in such a way as to
emphasize these improven1ents in the presentation of gram111ar while at
the sa111e time enhancing their former liveliness and functionalness of
context. These re,·isions ha\'e also resulted in the lightening of the
Common Expressions and ldio111s and, especially, the verb-vocabularies
of several subsequent lessons.
The many Yaluable suggestions that have reached us over the years
from students and teachers have been included throughout the fourth
edition. Our sincere gratitude goes out to these thoughtful and knowl
edgeable users of our text.
The two introductory units ha ,·e been recast to conform with
up-to-date principles of pronunciation drill. Many examples of Russian
script have been added and the script exercises revised and their nu111-
ber greatly increased. These changes and additions provide far closer
guidance of the student in his acquisition of a correct pronunciation
and of proper habits in the writing of Russian script.
\Ve wish to thank l\liessrs. Harry Charly and Ripley S. Sin1s of the
United States Armed Forces Institute for permission to reproduce the
script material on pages 6-7. This material \\'as prepared by the Institute
for indi,·idual study purposes.
Review readings, vocabulary building units, the two appendices of
poetry and song and of grammar tables that had been added to the third
edition have stood up \\'ell lo the test of time and have therefore been
left unchanged. All indices and ,·ocabularies ha,·e been urought into con-
v
PREFACE
VJ
for111ity with the revised grammar presentation and the new reading
materials.
The revisions of the fourth edition, arising fro1u the rich experience
with the text in the course of fi £teen years, will, it is hoped, satisfy its
faithful users and win new friends for Essentials of Russian.
Once again on the occasion of the appearance of a uew edition, the
authors extend their sincere gratitude to their colleagues and students
for constructive suggestions for the in1prove111ent of the text, and to
Hilde von Gronicka, who, with unflagging devotion to an intricate and
laborious task, has seen still another edition go to press.
A. v. G.
H. B. Y.