Practical Exercises and Drills: Case Usage Practice
Mastering the Russian cases requires consistent practice with real-life examples. Below is a set of practical exercises and drills designed to solidify your understanding of the six Russian cases—Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative, Instrumental, and Prepositional.
1. Quick Review of Case Functions
| Case | Main Function |
|---|---|
| Nominative | Subject of the sentence (Who? What?) |
| Genitive | Possession, absence (Whose? Of what?) |
| Dative | Indirect object, recipient (To whom? For whom?) |
| Accusative | Direct object (Whom? What?) |
| Instrumental | Means, tools, or accompaniment (With whom? With what?) |
| Prepositional | Location, about something (Where? About whom? About what?) |
2. Fill-in-the-Blank Exercises
Complete the sentences with the correct case form of the given nouns.
Exercise 1: Nominative vs. Accusative
Choose the correct form of the noun based on its role as the subject (Nominative) or the direct object (Accusative).
- (Книга) ______ лежит на столе. (The book is on the table.)
- Я читаю (книга) ______. (I am reading the book.)
- Она видит (собака) ______ в саду. (She sees the dog in the garden.)
- (Собака) ______ лает громко. (The dog is barking loudly.)
Answers:
- Книга
- книгу
- собаку
- Собака
Exercise 2: Genitive for Possession and Negation
Use the Genitive case to indicate possession or absence.
- У меня нет (машина) ______. (I don’t have a car.)
- Это дом (мой друг) ______. (This is my friend’s house.)
- На столе нет (яблоко) ______. (There are no apples on the table.)
- Цветок (дерево) ______ красивый. (The flower of the tree is beautiful.)
Answers:
- машины
- моего друга
- яблок
- дерева
Exercise 3: Dative for Giving and Receiving
Use the Dative case to show the indirect object.
- Я даю подарок (мама) ______. (I am giving a gift to my mom.)
- Мы помогаем (друг) ______. (We are helping a friend.)
- Письмо адресовано (учитель) ______. (The letter is addressed to the teacher.)
- Он объясняет правило (студенты) ______. (He explains the rule to the students.)
Answers:
- маме
- другу
- учителю
- студентам
Exercise 4: Instrumental for Means and Accompaniment
Use the Instrumental case to indicate tools or accompaniment.
- Она пишет (ручка) ______. (She writes with a pen.)
- Мы гуляем (друзья) ______. (We are walking with friends.)
- Дверь открыта (ключ) ______. (The door is opened with a key.)
- Он гордится (сестра) ______. (He is proud of his sister.)
Answers:
- ручкой
- друзьями
- ключом
- сестрой
Exercise 5: Prepositional for Location and «About»
Use the Prepositional case to indicate location or the topic of discussion.
- Мы говорим о (погода) ______. (We are talking about the weather.)
- Книга лежит на (полка) ______. (The book is on the shelf.)
- Он живёт в (город) ______. (He lives in the city.)
- Статья написана о (наука) ______. (The article is written about science.)
Answers:
- погоде
- полке
- городе
- науке
3. Translation Practice
Translate the following sentences into Russian, paying attention to the appropriate case usage.
- I am reading a book.
- The letter is written with a pen.
- There is no milk in the fridge.
- We are helping our parents.
- He is proud of his achievements.
Answers:
- Я читаю книгу.
- Письмо написано ручкой.
- В холодильнике нет молока.
- Мы помогаем нашим родителям.
- Он гордится своими достижениями.
4. Matching Exercise
Match the sentences with the case used for the italicized word.
| Sentence | Case |
|---|---|
| У него нет денег. (He has no money.) | Genitive |
| Я вижу кота. (I see a cat.) | Accusative |
| Он гордится своим сыном. (He is proud of his son.) | Instrumental |
| Мы говорим о литературе. (We are talking about literature.) | Prepositional |
| Я пишу письмо другу. (I am writing a letter to a friend.) | Dative |
Answers:
- Genitive
- Accusative
- Instrumental
- Prepositional
- Dative
5. Free Practice
Create your own sentences using each case for the following nouns:
- книга (book)
- город (city)
- друг (friend)
- мама (mom)
- вода (water)
6. Summary Table: Cases at a Glance
| Case | Question | Example Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | Кто? Что? | Книга на столе. | The book is on the table. |
| Genitive | Кого? Чего? | У меня нет книги. | I don’t have a book. |
| Dative | Кому? Чему? | Я помогаю другу. | I am helping a friend. |
| Accusative | Кого? Что? | Я читаю книгу. | I am reading a book. |
| Instrumental | Кем? Чем? | Она пишет ручкой. | She writes with a pen. |
| Prepositional | О ком? О чём? Где? | Мы говорим о книге. | We are talking about the book. |
Tips for Mastery
- Repetition: Practice using each case in sentences until the forms feel natural.
- Case Questions: Always ask yourself the relevant case question (e.g., «Кого?» for Accusative).
- Context: Use authentic materials (books, articles, or conversations) to see cases in action.
- Drills: Practice declension tables regularly for common nouns and adjectives.
By practicing these exercises, you will gain confidence in your ability to use Russian cases effectively in both written and spoken contexts!
