Russian Motion Verbs for Intermediate Students

by William J. Mahota

This handbook is devoted entirely to Russian motion verbs, a notoriously complex and difficult area of grammar for English-speaking students. William J. Mahota provides a thorough treatment of verb forms for students in the second and third years of Russian language study, integrating text and workbook exercises in each chapter of the book. By using up-to-date examples and colloquial language, Mahota's handbook aims to prepare the intermediate student to use comfortably the everyday Russian heard in conversation on the street and in the home. For the growing numbers of students traveling to Russia to live and study, facile use of motion verbs will contribute much to their communication skills.

Designed to complement any standard intermediate-level textbook, this handbook focuses first on unprefixed verbs and then on prefixed verbs. Mahota sets up a variety of lesson techniques, such as completion exercises, translations, and pattern exercises designed for oral drill. For some assignments, the student is asked to focus on morphology, for others on lexical choices, and for still others on morphology and lexical choice at the same time. Three appendixes supply conjugations, additional motion verbs, and additional prefixes; a glossary contains English-Russian as well as Russian-English words.

Genres: Russia

139 pages, Paperback

First published April 24, 1996

Reviews

[Mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Content seems fine. Nothing in the text that made the ideas about motion verbs more clear than other intermediate Russian textbooks that I have encountered. The material is covered in more detail than other texts because it is the sole subject of the book.

I would not recommend for self study; there are no solutions to any exercises in the book.

Formatting of the text and pictures is not great. I appreciate when textbooks use the page to help the learner organize the concepts being taught.

The Russian word do have accents on the stressed vowel which is very helpful for Russian language learners.

In the end, likely an okay reference material for someone doing significant work on motion verbs, but not as a primary learning material because of the lack any feedback on questions. It looks like the author is probably not active any more at this point (I couldn't find an internet presence for him), but I think this book would be very amiable to a new digital edition that students could do exercises and get instant feedback on their answers.

[ThymeOperator · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent in-depth explanation of the subject...but no answers provided to any of the exercises, which comprise half the page length. I stopped bothering with the exercises, as I didn't know if I was doing things right or not; and that meant no reinforcement of what I'd learned. This seems one of the biggest oversights you could imagine in a language book. I don't know how anyone thought it was acceptable to publish it in that format.

[Neil Gussman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good review of the most difficult verbs in Russian.