Reading, having read - one form for an action accompanying another, and the single rule that keeps it grammatical: both actions must belong to the same subject.
I can use both gerunds accurately and check that they share a subject with the main verb.
Подивіться на ці приклади. Чи можете ви помітити граматичну закономірність?
Ідучы дадому, я сустрэў старога сябра.
Walking home, I met an old friend.
Прачытаўшы ліст, ён нічога не сказаў.
Having read the letter, he said nothing.
Не ведаючы дарогі, мы заблукалі ў лесе.
Not knowing the way, we got lost in the forest.
Калі я чытаў кнігу, мне стала сумна.
While I was reading the book, I became bored.
Зверніть увагу на виділені частини. Що у них спільного?
The academic grammar gives the suffixes as -учы (-ючы), -ачы (-ячы) for the imperfective and -ўшы, -шы for the perfective:
| Aspect | Suffix | Example | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| imperfective | -учы / -ачы | чытаючы | while reading |
| perfective | -ўшы / -шы | прачытаўшы | having read |
They never decline - one form for every subject.
The gerund and the main verb must have the same subject. If they do not, the sentence is ungrammatical, however clear the meaning:
This is worth checking every time, because the impersonal constructions the course has taught - мне сумна, мне трэба, мне баліць - all have no subject and therefore cannot take a gerund.
| Simultaneous action | Ідучы дадому, я сустрэў сябра. |
| Prior action | Прачытаўшы ліст, ён змоўк. |
| Cause | Не ведаючы дарогі, мы заблукалі. |
| Manner | Ён адказаў, усміхаючыся. |
Gerunds belong to written and careful spoken Belarusian. In ordinary conversation a speaker is more likely to use two clauses joined by і or калі. Using them accurately marks a good written style; using them constantly in speech sounds stiff.
Застосуйте цю граматику у вправах курсу B1
Вправи для практикиTypical errors: attaching a gerund to an impersonal clause, where there is no subject for it to share.
Attaching a gerund to an impersonal or different-subject clause
Both actions must share a subject; otherwise use калі with a full clause.
Using a Russian gerund suffix
-ючы and -ўшы, not -я and -вши.
Trying to decline a gerund
It never changes - one form for every subject.
Using gerunds constantly in conversation
Ordinary speech joins two clauses with і or калі; gerunds belong to written style.
Ідучы дадому, я сустрэў старога сябра.
Walking home, I met an old friend.
Simultaneous, and both actions are mine - the rule holds.
Прачытаўшы ліст, ён нічога не сказаў.
Having read the letter, he said nothing.
Perfective gerund in <em>-ўшы</em>: the reading came first.
Не ведаючы дарогі, мы заблукалі ў лесе.
Not knowing the way, we got lost in the forest.
The gerund gives the cause, and <em>мы</em> is the subject of both halves.
Калі я чытаў кнігу, мне стала сумна.
While I was reading the book, I became bored.
A clause rather than a gerund, because the second half is impersonal and has no subject.
Ён адказаў, усміхаючыся.
He answered, smiling.
Manner, and note the reflexive gerund keeps its ending: <em>усміхаючыся</em>.
Практикувати в курсі
Застосуйте цю граматику у вправах курсу B1