Commentary Notes
1. Beautiful, wonderful, watchful
-ful is an adjective-forming suffix which is usually added to nominal bases imparting to them the meaning of full of abounding in or causing, giving, e.g.
beautiful - full of beauty, having beauty painful - giving pain
When added to a verbal base, the suffix -ful gives the derived adjective the.meaning of inclined, tending to, e.g.
watchful - inclined or tending to watch
There is another adjective-forming suffix in English similar in meaning to the suffix -ful: -y -full of, tending to, e.g.
noisy - full of noise
sleepy - tending to sleep, ready to go to sleep. These suffixes are called synonymous suffixes.
In many cases nominal bases may take both one of the synonymous suffixes {-ful, -y) and the antonymous suffix -less, thus forming pairs of adjective with opposite meanings, e.g.: painful -painless, noisy - noiseless
2. At Columbia
Columbia as used in the text means Columbia University. The word University is generally dropped in informal speech.
He is at Oxford. - He is at Oxford University.
Note that no article is used with the names of universities and colleges: London University, Eton college. But: The University of London.
3. On the East Side
The East Side is the part of New York City lying to the east of Fifth Avenue, where the world's richest residential district, the Upper East Side, is situated.
Structural patterns
W
ish
+ Object
Clause
1
.
...he wished it
could be more affable.
The predicate verb in object clauses dependent on the verb to wish describes an unreal situation.
I wish I had gone to that concert.
Жаль, что я не пошла на этот
концерт.
The tense form of the predicate verb in the object clause shows the relations between the actions expressed in the principal clause and in the subordinate (object) clause:
a) The Past Indefinite shows that the action in the subordinate clause is simultaneous with that of the principal clause.
He wished he knew more about Он хотел бы больше знать о своих his fellow-students. однокурсниках.
b)
The
Past Perfect shows
that the action of the subordinate clause is prior
to that of the principal clause.
You will wish you had controlled yourself and answered all his questions.
Вы пожалеете, что не сдержались и не ответили на все его вопросы.
I wish I had the book, (a)
I wish I had told her about it. (a)
I wished Thomas hadn't brought me here, (b)
Жаль, что у меня нет этой книги. Жаль, что я не сказал ей об этом.
Я сожалел, что Томас привел меня сюда.
Note: The same rules hold true for the use of tense forms in clauses of comparison introduced by as if, as though.
If the verb in the object clause is affirmative in English, it is negative in Russian (a) and vice versa (b).
He looked at me as if he didn't believe a word of what I was saying.
You speak as if you had read a lot on the problem.
c)
He
must have worked the whole summer.
He looks tired.
He
must have been out when I rang
him up.
Evidently
he did not know anything
about it.
Вы говорите так, как будто много читали по этому вопросу.
When the action of the subordinate clause follows that of the principal clause the predicate in the subordinate clause is generally expressed by could or might + infinitive.
Erik wished he could (might) Эрику хотелось бы начать работу start working immediately. J немедленно.
Would + infinitive may be found in the subordinate clause only if the subjects in the clauses are different. It makes the wish more emphatic.
The use of would + infinitive often implies that the person expressed by the subject of the subordinate clause does not want to perform the action.
I wish he would tell me I Как бы мне хотелось, чтобы он everything. мне все сказал.
Note: The verb to be may have the form were for all persons singular and plural. The form were is traditionally termed the Past Subjunctive.
I wish it were true (or: I wish it was true)
Жаль, что это неправда (как бы мне хотелось, чтобы это было правдой).
Must, may, can + Perfect or Continuous Infinitive
2
.
...Gorin must
have been tortured for
a moment by...
The modal verbs must, may, can used with the perfect or continuous infinitive express various degrees of supposition, i.e. probability, doubt, incredulity.
a) The verb must in such cases expresses a high degree of supposition, almost certainty. The Russian equivalents are должно быть, вероятно.
Он, должно быть, работал все лето. Он выглядит усталым.
Note: The verb must in this meaning is not used with the particle not. To express negation lexical means are used.
Его, должно быть, не было дома, когда я позвонила ему.
Он, должно быть, ничего не знал об этом.
b) The verb may expresses uncertainty as to the fulfillment of an action, state or occurrence, supposition implying doubt. The Russian equivalents are возможно, может быть.
Note:
As
all the forms of the predicate verb in object clauses (after the
verb to
wish)
denote
unreal actions they very often serve as expressions
of regret rather than wish and are accordingly translated into
Russian by the expression жаль,
the
verb сожалеть,
etc.
She may be staying with her friends at a place they have in Moscow.
Don't be angry with him. He may not have known about it.
Она, возможно, гостит у своих друзей в Москве.
Не сердись на него. Он, может быть, ничего об этом не знал.
с) The verb can expresses doubt (in interrogative sentences) or incredulity (in negative sentences). The Russian equivalents are неужели, не может быть.
Can she have told a lie? II Неужели она сказала неправду?
She can't be lying! || He может быть, чтобы она лгала!
The form of the infinitive shows the time reference of the action. The perfect infinitive is used when the action refers to the past, the continuous infinitive refers the action to the present.
She must have done some research work in this field.
She must be doing some research work in this field.
Должно быть, она занималась исследовательской работой в этой области.
Должно быть, она занимается исследовательской работой в этой области.
Now (that) you are well again, Раз вы здоровы, вы можете при-you may return to your studies. | ступить опять к занятиям.