Practical Exercises and Drills: Sentence Construction Activities

Sentence construction is a vital skill for mastering Russian. It helps you understand word order, case usage, verb conjugation, and overall sentence structure. Below are exercises and drills designed to help you improve your sentence construction in Russian.
1. Sentence Structure Overview
In Russian, the typical word order is Subject – Verb – Object (SVO), but it is flexible depending on emphasis, context, and the case of the nouns. Russian sentences can be simple or complex and often use cases to mark the grammatical roles of words.
2. Sentence Construction Drill: Simple Sentences
Create simple sentences by using the following words. Remember to follow the subject-verb-object structure or the context of the sentence.
Exercise 1: Construct Sentences Using Given Words
- Я, читать, книга (I, read, book)
- Она, работать, офис (She, works, office)
- Ты, пить, чай (You, drink, tea)
- Мы, идти, парк (We, walk, park)
- Они, жить, Москва (They, live, Moscow)
Answers:
- Я читаю книгу. (I read a book.)
- Она работает в офисе. (She works in the office.)
- Ты пьешь чай. (You drink tea.)
- Мы идем в парк. (We are walking to the park.)
- Они живут в Москве. (They live in Moscow.)
3. Sentence Construction Drill: Complex Sentences
Now, let’s make the sentences more complex by adding subordinate clauses. Use the conjunctions provided to form a more detailed sentence.
Exercise 2: Combine Sentences Using Conjunctions
- Я читаю книгу. Это интересная книга. (I read a book. It is an interesting book.) — Use когда (when)
- Мы приехали в Москву. Мы хотим увидеть Красную Площадь. (We arrived in Moscow. We want to see Red Square.) — Use потому что (because)
- Ты любишь читать? Ты читаешь часто. (Do you like to read? You read often.) — Use и (and)
- Он поехал в парк. Он забыл телефон. (He went to the park. He forgot his phone.) — Use несмотря на то что (despite the fact that)
- Я устал. Я хочу спать. (I am tired. I want to sleep.) — Use поэтому (so)
Answers:
- Я читаю книгу, когда она интересная. (I read a book when it is interesting.)
- Мы приехали в Москву, потому что хотим увидеть Красную Площадь. (We arrived in Moscow because we want to see Red Square.)
- Ты любишь читать, и ты читаешь часто. (You like to read, and you read often.)
- Он поехал в парк, несмотря на то что забыл телефон. (He went to the park despite the fact that he forgot his phone.)
- Я устал, поэтому я хочу спать. (I am tired, so I want to sleep.)
4. Sentence Construction Drill: Questions
Form questions by rearranging the words provided. Pay attention to the word order and question words.
Exercise 3: Form Questions
- Ты | читать | книга | любить (Do you like reading books?)
- Почему | ты | опоздать | на урок? (Why were you late for the lesson?)
- Когда | они | приехать | в Москву? (When did they arrive in Moscow?)
- Что | ты | делать | сейчас? (What are you doing now?)
- Где | он | работать | сейчас? (Where is he working now?)
Answers:
- Ты любишь читать книги? (Do you like reading books?)
- Почему ты опоздал на урок? (Why were you late for the lesson?)
- Когда они приехали в Москву? (When did they arrive in Moscow?)
- Что ты делаешь сейчас? (What are you doing now?)
- Где он работает сейчас? (Where is he working now?)
5. Sentence Construction Drill: Using Cases
Fill in the blank spaces with the correct case form of the word in parentheses.
Exercise 4: Case Usage in Sentences
- Я вижу (собака) ______ в парке. (I see a dog in the park.)
- Мы говорим о (книга) ______. (We are talking about the book.)
- Он помогает (друзьям) ______. (He helps his friends.)
- Я купил (подарок) ______ для тебя. (I bought a gift for you.)
- Мы поехали в (город) ______ на выходных. (We went to the city on the weekend.)
Answers:
- собаку (Accusative)
- книге (Prepositional)
- друзьям (Dative)
- подарок (Accusative)
- город (Accusative)
6. Rearranging Sentences
Rearrange the words to form a correct sentence. Focus on the proper word order in a statement or question.
Exercise 5: Sentence Rearrangement
- читает | книгу | она (She is reading a book.)
- на | столе | книга (The book is on the table.)
- вчера | мы | были | в кино (We were at the cinema yesterday.)
- письмо | я | написал (I wrote the letter.)
- мама | готовит | вкусный | обед (Mom is making a delicious lunch.)
Answers:
- Она читает книгу. (She is reading a book.)
- Книга на столе. (The book is on the table.)
- Мы были в кино вчера. (We were at the cinema yesterday.)
- Я написал письмо. (I wrote the letter.)
- Мама готовит вкусный обед. (Mom is making a delicious lunch.)
7. Sentence Construction Drill: Using Adjectives
Now, construct sentences with adjectives. Remember that adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify.
Exercise 6: Construct Sentences Using Adjectives
- красивый | девочка (beautiful girl)
- новый | книга (new book)
- интересный | фильм (interesting movie)
- старый | дом (old house)
- вкусный | суп (delicious soup)
Answers:
- Красивое девочка. (The beautiful girl.)
- Новая книга. (The new book.)
- Интересный фильм. (The interesting movie.)
- Старый дом. (The old house.)
- Вкусный суп. (The delicious soup.)
8. Free Practice
Now it’s time to practice creating your own sentences. Use the following words and try to create at least three sentences:
- собака (dog)
- сегодня (today)
- поехать (to go)
- петь (to sing)
- время (time)
9. Sentence Construction Tips
- Subject-Verb Agreement: Make sure the verb agrees with the subject in person and number.
- Word Order Flexibility: Russian allows flexible word order, but generally, the Subject comes first, followed by the Verb, and then the Object.
- Adjective Agreement: Remember that adjectives must match the noun in gender, number, and case.
- Use Conjunctions: Connect sentences logically with conjunctions for more complex structures (e.g., и, потому что, когда, но, поэтому).
By practicing these drills, you will enhance your ability to construct sentences in Russian, making your communication more accurate and natural.