Chapter 4. The indeterminate verbs of motion

Before we start on the indeterminate verbs of motion, there is one more point of grammar paralleling the kind of choice we must make between куда and где , Two prepositions в and на + locative express location. This is something you have been doing all along.

When в or на governs the locative case: в means "in, at", and на means "on, at".

Где Иван?	Where is Ivan?
Он в библотеке.	He's in the library.
Он на концерте.	He's at the concert.

In sentences with verbs of motion, a question is generally а куда-question. A кyда-question asks, "whereto?" The same prepositions в and на may be used to answer a куда-question. In this case в means "in, to", and на means "on, to". In answering куда-questions, в and на govern the accusative case — в or на + accusative.

Куда идёт Иван? Where is Ivan going?
Он идёт в театр. He is going to the theater.
Он идёт на концерт. He is going to the concert.

Choose the correct form.

Моя терелка (на кухне/на кухню).
My plate is in the kitchen.
Я иду (на уроке/на урок).
I am going to class.
Люди читают (в библотеке/в библиотеку).
People read in the library.
Отец шёл (в городе/в город).
Father was going to town.
Я видел его (на футболе/на футбол).
I saw him at the football game.

Answer:

на урок
в библиотеке
в город
на футболе.

There is one other pair of adverbial forms meaning "home" used the same way — дома (location) and домой (destination or direction).

Translate the answers to the following questions into Russian using either дома or домой.

Где Иван?

He is at home. _______

Куда идёт Иван?

He is going home. _______

Answer.

Он дома.
Он идёт домой.

Fill In the blanks below.
Location	Motion
где	_______________________
здесь	_______________________
там	_______________________
дома в + locative	_______+______________
на + locative	_______+______________

Answer:

Location	Motion
где	куда
здесь	сюда
там	туда
дома	домой
в + locative	в + accusative
на + locative	на + accusative

Since indeterminate verbs are Imperfective verbs, what are the three basic actions expressed by imperfective verbs?

_______________________
_______________________
_______________________

Answer:

progressive action
repeated action
naming the action

If determinate verbs of motion express a progressive (a simple progressive motion along a line at a given moment), then indeterminate verbs express ____________ and ______________.

Answer: repeated action (motion) and naming the action (motion)

To put repeated motion and naming the action into the same sort of definition as the determinate one, let us say that an indeterminate verb may describe:

motion non-progressively along a line
motion with no relation to the line

The repeated or habitual actions when translated into repeated or habitual motions can be thought of as non-progressive motion along a line. Using the indeterminate verb ходить (the partner of the determinate verb идти), turn to the next page and look at the sentences describing non-progressive motion along a line.

Repeated motion: хожу в школу три раза в неделю. I go to class three times a week.
Repeated motion: Я ходил по комнате. I was walking around the room.
Habitual motion: Мой брат ходит в город. My brother goes to town.

Now at the sentence below. Select the best answer.

Зина _____ в школу.

a: идёт page
b: ходит page
c: either идёт or ходит page

Your Answer: (b) зина ходит в школу. Zina goes to school.

"Zina goes to school" is a non-progressive motion considered as a repeated action or habitual action. It certainly can be interpreted in this way. But can't you also say Зина идёт в школу "Zina is going to school" (a progressive motion along a line at a given moment in time)? This also correct.

The problem is there is not enough information in the rest of the sentence to give you only one possible interpretation. The sentence can be visualized in more than one way.

Most often a sentence with an indeterminate verb of motion will have adverbial clues for repeated or habitual actions.

Can you think of any adverbs or adverbial phrases that will help you visualize the motion as being repeated or habitual?

Turn to page and you will see some that I thought of.

Your Answer:

Зина идёт в школу. Zina is going to school.
Зина ходит в школу. Zina goes to school.

You are absolutely right. There was not enough Information in the rest of the sentence to be sure of any one single interpretation. The sentence can be visualized in more than one way.

More often than not a sentence with an indeterminate verb will have adverbial clues for repeated or habitual motions.

Can you think of any adverbs or adverbial phrases that will help you visualize the motion as being repeated or habitual?

Turn to page and you will see some that I thought of.

Your Answer: (а) Зина идёт в школу. Zina is going to school.

"Zina is going to school" describes a simple progressive motion along a line at a given moment in time. This is correct as far as it goes. What about Зина ходит в школу "Zina goes to school" (an habitual or repeated motion)? This is also possible.

The problem is there is not enough information in the rest of the sentence to give you only one possible answer. The sentence can be visualized more than one way.

Most often a sentence with an indeterminate verb of motion will have adverbs or adverbial clues for repeated or habitual actions. Can you think of any adverbs or adverbial phrases that will help you visualize the motion as being repeated or habitual? Turn to page and you will see some that I thought of.

Here is my list of adverbial clues or cues that can assist you in choosing the indeterminate from.

всегда	always
никогда	never
два раза	twice
три раза	three times
пять раз	five times
много раз	many times
каждый день	every day
каждую неделю	every week
часто	often
обычно	usually
обыкновенно	generally
от времени до времени	from time to time