Understanding Temporal Clauses in Russian

Temporal clauses are important because they show us when something happens in a sentence. In Russian, these special parts of sentences give us useful details about the timing of actions.

How to Create Temporal Clauses

We use certain words to build these clauses. Here are some common ones:

• когда (when)
• пока (while)
• как только (as soon as)
• прежде чем (before)

Example Sentences:

1. Когда я пришёл, он уже ушёл.
   (When I arrived, he had already left.)
   In this sentence, когда tells us the time of the action.

2. Я буду делать домашнее задание, пока он смотрит телевизор.
   (I will do my homework while he watches TV.)
   Here, пока shows that two actions are happening at the same time.

Why Use Temporal Clauses?

Using these clauses makes your sentences:

• Clearer: They help explain how actions are connected.
• More interesting: They add details and make stories better.

Practice

Try changing these simple sentences into more complex ones by adding temporal clauses:

1. Он читает книгу. Я готовлю ужин.
   (He is reading a book. I am making dinner.)
   Answer: Пока он читает книгу, я готовлю ужин.
   (While he is reading a book, I am making dinner.)

2. Она гуляет. Дождь начнётся.
   (She is walking. The rain will start.)
   Answer: Когда она гуляет, дождь начнётся.
   (When she walks, it will start raining.)

Using temporal clauses can make your writing more detailed and help you express yourself better in Russian!