review & speak
You made the effort of going through the story — this is what makes it stick before the next one washes it out: engage with the words and patterns, then produce them out loud.
Intermediate · en→ru
1 · Vocabulary — the story's new words
The words this story used that are new at its level, sorted by meaning (Ctrl/Cmd+F to search). Save any of them to your word list — 23 new words here.
2 · Grammar — patterns from the story
aspect — perfective (a single completed action)perfective verb (по-/про-/с- …)
On «pozval» menya.
Он «позвал» меня.
He called me.
degree — superlative adjectiveсамый + adjective / -ейш-/-айш-
Eto «samyy bolshoy» gorod.
Это «самый большой» город.
This is the biggest city.
case — instrumental predicateказаться/быть/чувствовать себя + instrumental
kazalas «smeshnoy»
казалась «смешной»
seemed funny
case — до + genitive (up to / until)до + noun (genitive)
«do kontsa»
«до конца»
to the end
tense — past (-л/-ла/-ло/-ли)stem + -л/-ла/-ло/-ли
Ya «zanimalsya» sportom.
Я «занимался» спортом.
I did sport.
degree — comparative of adjective/adverbcomparative (-ее/-е, лучше …)
namnogo «luchshe»
намного «лучше»
much better
form — short-form predicate adjectivesubject + short adjective
Ya ochen «rad».
Я очень «рад».
I am very glad.
syntax — no copula (predicate adjective)subject + Ø + predicate adjective
Vozdukh «svezhiy».
Воздух «свежий».
The air is fresh.
case — genitive after quantity/numbernumber/quantity + noun (genitive)
bolshe pyati «minut»
больше пяти «минут»
more than five minutes
clause — subordinate что (that)…, что + clause
On skazal, «chto» eto pravda.
Он сказал, «что» это правда.
He said that it is true.
negation — не before the verbне + verb
Ya «ne» znayu.
Я «не» знаю.
I don't know.
case — accusative direct objectverb + noun (accusative)
Ya yem «khleb».
Я ем «хлеб».
I eat bread.
pronoun — relative который, который + clause
chelovek, «kotoryy» begayet
человек, «который» бегает
a person who runs
case — dative of the experiencerdative + было/verb + adj
«Mne» bylo trudno.
«Мне» было трудно.
It was hard for me.
case — animate accusative = genitive formverb + animate noun (accusative = genitive)
nayti novykh «druzey»
найти новых «друзей»
to find new friends
voice — reflexive verb (-ся/-сь)verb + -ся/-сь
ya ne «sdayus»
я не «сдаюсь»
I don't give up
tense — present, 1st person singularя + verb-ю/-у
Ya «pyu» kofe.
Я «пью» кофе.
I drink coffee.
modal — можно / нельзя + infinitiveможно/нельзя + infinitive
Zdes «nelzya» kurit.
Здесь «нельзя» курить.
You can't smoke here.
3 · Practice A — build your own sentence
Use each pattern on your own life. Say it out loud, then peek at one valid version.
superlative самый
Make a superlative sentence using «самый + adjective + noun».
comparative больше чем
Make a comparison using «больше, чем».
почувствовать себя + instrumental
Make a sentence about a feeling using «почувствовал(а) себя + adjective(Instr.)».
4 · Practice B — translate, then check
Your language → the language you're learning, using the story's words and patterns.
5 · The speech — say it out loud
A ~1-minute speech, not a monologue — the arc (open → explain → example → opinion → contrast → close) is what makes it sound human. Study the one help bank first; then pick an angle and say each line in the language you're learning, out loud — no cues next to the lines on purpose. ✨ = new for these speeches; everything else is review from the story.
help bank · key vocabulary
help bank · connectors — the glue, in talk order
help bank · grammar patterns
SUPERLATIVE (самый)самый + adjective + noun
Байкал считается самым глубоким озером в мире.— Lake Baikal is considered the deepest lake in the world.
COMPARATIVE (больше чем)adjective(comp.) + чем + clause
Байкал намного больше, чем я себе представлял.— Lake Baikal is much bigger than I had imagined.
INSTRUMENTAL (стал)стал(а) + noun(Instr.)
Байкал стал для меня самым важным путешествием.— The trip to Lake Baikal was the most important journey of my life.
SUBORDINATE ЧТО (belief)верят, что + clause
Они верят, что озеро живое и мудрое.— They believe that the lake is alive and wise.
NEGATION (никогда не)никогда не + verb(past)
Я никогда не видел такой яркой воды.— I've never seen water that bright.
REFLEXIVE + SELFпочувствовал(а) себя + adjective(Instr.)
Здесь я почувствовал себя маленьким и свободным.— Here, I felt small and free.
now perform it — pick an angle · all 5 use the one bank above, no new words
The long journey to reach the deepest lake in the world.
the speech — say each line in the language you're learning
① Open — last summer
1.Say last summer you visited Lake Baikal.
② Explain — the deepest lake
2.Say Lake Baikal is considered the deepest lake in the world.
③ Example — the long journey
3.Say the journey there was long and difficult.
④ My opinion — flying to Irkutsk
4.Say first you flew to Irkutsk.
⑤ But — the bus ride
5.Say then you took a long bus ride along the shore.
⑥ Close — speechless
6.Say when you saw the lake, you were speechless with delight.
⚠ stuck? model answers — try first, peek last