ANEW RUSSIAN GRAMMARANNA H. SEMBONOFF has also wrieeen: ‘A FIRST RUSSIAN READER A KEY TO A NEW RUSSIAN GRAMMAR Whac the critics have sid about A New Russian GRAMMAR: A modeca grammar which makes the bundles cay 10 ake." BuBalo Cosrier Express "It is @ splendid book... practical for classsoom work, but canbe used equally well for selfinsteuctin. Te is so arranged that a feeling for the language is developed cael. ‘There are fine Russian-English and English-Russian vocabu- lavies.-. «eis writen clearly end interestingly. Pare) is a beginness lesson book, with exercises. In Pare Il the whole ‘grammar is systematically given.” Bulletin of the Pennsylvania Modern Language AsioiationA NEW RUSSIAN GRAMMAR IN TWO PARTS by ANNA H. SEMEONOFF (Peaoher of Reon in George Walton's Bay! College, Batnbura “tuthor of Dash Up Pour ftasson®) Part 1 Lessons on Rules of Grammar and Syntax, with Exercises Part IL systematic treatment of Grammar Russian and English Vocabularies Written in accordance wit the New Grtbography sod thy stable! Grammar conrad by the Commissariat of Elseation of HSPN 1053 FOURTH (REVISED) EDITION BOOKS, INC. Distributed by NEW YORK: E, P, DUTTON & CO, INC.Published by E.P. Dutton & Co, Ine All Righis Reserved Printed in U. S.A. ire Pablihed 1934 Reprinted (with corrections) 1933 Third Revised Edition 1937 Fourth Revised Bdition 1941 Reprinted 1942 Reprinted 1943PREFACE ‘This grammar, though elementary in form, is intended to be ® practical manual for the reading, writing, and spoaking of Russian. ‘Thia is @ big undertaking for a emall hook, and yot | hope to be ble to show that Russian in not nearly so diffcult-as it is reputed to be. ‘This book is the result of my’ long experience in Veaching Russian, to foreigners, and all my explanations have hoon tried out in lassoc ff various typos, In this respoct J should lice to thaneallmy pupil, who have thus uneonseiously co-operated in this work. ‘Well aware of the fact that the alphabet often frightens people off altogether, T have found it unnecessary to burden may pupils with the whole alphabet at once. In this book the lettora are introduced gradually, #0 that whilst getting used to tho new Alphabet, the student aequirce @ certain amount of knowledge ‘bout the language. ‘Grammar should not be studied without reading, and this should be started as early as possible. Unfortunately, throvigh Incl of space, reading material from Russian authors could not be supplied in this book. But the material of the books has been arranged in such @ way as to give the pupil an idea of the Russian construction from the very first lesson, and in the later lessons quotations from Russian originals are given as often as possible as illustrations of tho rules, with or without tronslations, 86 that the student may have an idea of the living language, and not merely grammatir examples. The most characteristic feature of the Russian verb, its “Aspeets, ia mentioned simply and shortly ar early aa in the second Jeston, so that one may recognise the forms when one comes across ‘hem in reading. ‘Further, each lesion, boginning with the third, has, in addition ‘to tho usual exercises from and into Russian, an excreise consisting of simple sontances in both Russian and English, designed to help the student to use correctly, in proper Russian, the grammatical rules and words given, ‘Those exercises (marked A) alzo contain & certain nurober of idiomatic expressions founded on the rulea given. In this way tho student is gradtally introduced to the Janguage as a whole. In the lessons the parta of spscch are introduoedvi PREFACE, sradually, a8 required. In Part IT, however, the whole Grammar is igiven systematically, so that tho student at a very eatly stage ean rofor to it and extend hia knowledge in his own way. ‘Tho principal aim of this work, sa well at of my teaching in ‘gonoral, is to give a “feeling” for the language, an understanding ‘of tho mind of tho people which created it. T hava in viow not just tho learning of now or peculiar words and forma, but an tundorstanding of why those forms are wed and how these words aro formed. For this purpose spocial attention has boon paid to word- building. Tho permutation of Russian vowels and consonants plays @ groat part in the formation of words, sad a knowlodge of Hholpa immensely in learning the vocabulary, 4s to pronunciation, the student will find amazingly fow rulea given, but by keeping strictly to theco fow rules, and in particular observing the distinction betwoon hard and soft vowels and con. ‘sonanta, & fairly accurate pronunciation may be acquired ‘should like also to explain the absence of phonetic transeription, though T occasionally rofor to phonoties and phonetic signs. Tho Russian alphabet ia s0 perfect in ite accuracy and consistency in tho representation of Slavonio sounds, that it does not require any. other signs. In Russian one lotter nover has two values, and to letters noe never sed to represent one sound. ‘Thobookia written consistently ia thonew orthography, according to the “Deeree of the Introduction of the New Orthography ” dated October 10th, 1918, which practically ropeats a resolution of the Aoadoray of faionco of May Ith, 1917. [thas also been verified with ‘hotabilined Grammar confirmed by the Commissariat of Edueation, of tho R.S.F.S.R. in 1933. The differencos batwoen the now and tho old orthography are summarised and given separately. "Though every teacher naturally prefors to use hia own method in imparting knowledge, 1 should like to give just a few practical hints. T have found it most halpfal to start teaching with writing, ‘and not with reading, because in. the written alphabet the samo ‘slementa aro used aa in tho Latin alphabet (a0¢ p. 1). The per- mutation of vowels and consonants ~vhich is explained in the ‘Chaptaron Pronunciation should be referred to as often as possible, Referonoed to it will be found in the lessoas. Reference to the ‘Table of Vowels should also be made very often. After Leasona XT and XT, and siter acquaintance has been made with the meanings ‘of prefixes, the pupils should bo invited to try to form independently the perfective Sspect of verbs. All this can be done sito by sido with roading.PREFACE, vii ‘Tho introductory chaptor may be read for ita own interest aa an introduction to tho study of the language. But some parts of the inteoductory chapter, notably those on the Permutation of Vowola ‘and Consonants, need not be studied earefully in the beginning, but ‘only when references are made to it in the leaions. By beginning ‘with Lascon I, and consulting the inteoductory sections on writing fand pronunciation, the student will avoid the confusion which may ‘cen if the material is not studied in the proper order. ‘Though the lesions are numbered I to XXV, there ano thirty two in all, since some are double and aro marked Ila, Tia, ote. ‘As each whole lesson is intonded to present @ complete topic, each “a” leeson is supplementary to the preceding lesson, Ta conclusion T should like to express my thanks to all those ‘sho have helped mo in the production of this book, and exposialiy to my on, Boris Semeonof, Muda, BEC. as ANNA SEMEONOFF NOTE 10 THE SECOND EDITION [No major changes have been made in the Second Edition, but the book has beon thoroughly revised, and a number of typographical errors corrected. CCortain alterations hays been made in the text of the Lessons ‘and w fow paragraphs added. ‘Tho vocabularies to the Lessons und some oxerciaca have been slightly adjusted and about fifty words fadded to the genoral Vocabulary. ‘Tho following advioo on roading will be found useful. ‘Tho rading of simple texts should be began aa soon a8 the student veachos Lesson XT, or even easier, if ne ia studying with f teacher. ‘The forms of the plural and othor points of gearomer ‘hich are treated later can easily be looked up, for which purpose ‘ono showld suse tho Index. ‘After earofully reading two or throo graded readers with notes tho student should be able to attempt ordinary Russian toxts, including newspapers, carrying on a parallel study of the grammar. The later leasons and Part 1 roquiro closer attention, and additional sending ia vory necessary to supplement the exercises ‘which have been limited owing to the lack of space.