When translating, it is important to select semantically, grammatically and stylistically correct words. In order to use unfamiliar words, it is advisable to resort to the help of explanatory dictionaries, grammar indexes and combinability reference books. Further, in order to understand how to translate sentences from Russian into English, we can consider the general algorithm for constructing a sentence. It is based on the division of the sentence into components, their correct and relatively simultaneous translation, and the reproduction of the sequence of appearance of members in the English syntax.
Step -0- Analysis
How to translate sentences from Russian into English? First, we analyze the Russian sentence. What type of information does it contain - an affirmation, a negation, a question, a request/order, or a conditional statement? Differentiate the members of the sentence:
1) the predicate answers the question “what is it doing?”, “what state is it in?”, “what is happening?”;
2) the subject answers the question "who?", "what?";
3) the addition answers the question “to whom?”, “what?”, “whom?”,“what?”, “for whom?”, “for what?”, “by whom?”, “with what?”, “through what?”;
4) circumstance answers the question “where?”, “when?”, “why?”, “why?”, “how?”, “to what extent?”;
5) the definition answers the question “what?”, “whose?”.
Determine the pledge. In the active voice, the subject is the actor itself; in the passive voice, it takes the action. We determine the time - present, past, future, conditional (“would”). We define the aspect - indefinite (in general), lasting (a specific process), completed (effect, experience), completed lasting (effect from a long process), it depends on the meaning of the sentence.
Translation into English can be done in the following steps.
Step -1- Circumstance in first position
If there is an emphasis on a circumstance, it is put in the first place. If this is a circumstance of place, the predicate may come before the subject.
Step -2- Subject
The subject is put. Sentences in English require a subject in almost every situation. Therefore, if the sentence is impersonal, a formal subject is put - usually 'It'. In a question, the subject is preceded by the appropriate auxiliary verb.
Step -3- Predicate
Next comes the predicate. If the predicate is not expressed by a verb, a linking verb is used. Person, number and time are reflected by the first verb of the predicate. Additional auxiliary verbs depend on tense and voice. If ayou need to express a negative, this happens either by adding the particle 'not' to the auxiliary verb, or by introducing another suitable negative word ('no', 'no one', 'nothing', 'nobody', 'neither', 'never') before the correct word. Verbs can have dependent words expressed by an adverb or a group of adverbs that are placed before the verb. In the passive voice, the verb is used in the past participle and is preceded by 'be' in the appropriate form. If there are multiple auxiliaries, 'be' comes last.
Step -4- Addition
The predicate is followed by an object (if any), it can be attached directly or - if the predicate cannot take direct objects - through the appropriate preposition.
Step -5- Circumstance
If the time is not expressed by a circumstance, it comes after the addition. If there is more than one addition in a sentence, they usually alternate in the following sequence: mode of action, place, time. However, in order to emphasize, they can be swapped.
Step -6- Definition
The definition does not have a clear position in the sentence because it refers to a noun. A noun, in turn, can be part of any member. The definition can be expressed by a possessive pronoun (My, Our, Your, His, Her, Their) or an adjective. If one word has several definitions-adjectives that go in a row, the following order is usually established between them:size, shape, age, color, nationality, material. Opinion subjective adjectives ('bad', 'good', 'nice') go before objective and descriptive adjectives ('clean', 'comfortable').
Other designs
How to translate sentences from Russian into English in the imperative and subjunctive mood? In requests, instructions and orders (imperatives), the subject is omitted, and the verb always stands in the base form. In conditional sentences, an assumption or probability / improbability is expressed. Depending on the situation, you can use various constructions - inversion of the subject and predicate, the subjunctive mood, the past indefinite tense, conjunctions like 'if / if' and modal verbs 'should', 'would'.
If desired, any member can be put in first place, thus logically highlighting it, with the introduction of certain constructions.
Some situations call for a more formal style. How to translate sentences from Russian into English, if you need to reflect a polite appeal? To do this, in English, as well as in Russian, the past tense is used, in this case, the past indefinite ('could you', 'I was wondering', 'did you').
