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А́ннаСерге́евна Петро́ва FIRST NAMEPATRONYMICSURNAME father: Серге́й Серге́евна · Серге́евич daughter · son
Every Russian has a patronymic, a middle name made from the father’s first name. Name plus patronymic is the respectful way to address someone.
Checkpoint · Unit 05 · B2·Understand the nuances

Unit 05 checkpoint: reading like a native

B2 is where Russian sounds written and literary: participles, “would have”, full names with patronymics, and the dashes of dialogue. This test checks all of it, starting with a short literary passage. Score 16 out of 20 to pass.

20 questionsAbout 15 minutesPass mark 16
Reading Participles Conditional Names Punctuation
0 / 20

1. Read the passage

A short passage in the style of nineteenth-century Russian prose, written for this test. Tap a sentence to hear it and see its gloss.

Нача́льник ста́нции The station master
How did the station master live?
What did he do every evening?
How often did the train stop?
Why did the woman get off?

2. Participles

A participle is a verb that works like an adjective: it describes a noun and takes adjective endings. It replaces a кото́рый clause. Choose the participle that means the same. Participles guide →

ACTIVE · DOES IT · NOWACTIVE · DID IT · PASTPASSIVE · IS DONE · NOWPASSIVE · WAS DONE · PAST чита́ющий студе́нтчита́вший студе́нтчита́емая кни́гапрочи́танная кни́га who is readingwho was readingbeing readthat has been read
Active participles (blue) describe the doer; passive participles (red) describe the thing the action is done to.
With кото́рый Студе́нт, кото́рый чита́ет кни́гу, — мой брат. ↓ _____ кни́гу студе́нт — мой брат. The student reading the book is my brother.
With кото́рый Же́нщина, кото́рая звони́ла вчера́, ждёт вас. ↓ _____ вчера́ же́нщина ждёт вас. The woman who called yesterday is waiting for you.
With кото́рый Письмо́, кото́рое написа́л Пу́шкин, храни́тся в музе́е. ↓ _____ Пу́шкиным письмо́ храни́тся в музе́е. The letter written by Pushkin is kept in a museum.
With кото́рый Пробле́ма, кото́рую обсужда́ют, о́чень серьёзная. ↓ _____ пробле́ма о́чень серьёзная. The problem being discussed is very serious.

3. “Would” and “would have”

Real conditions (it may happen) use е́сли with the normal tense. Unreal ones (imagined, or too late) use е́сли бы and the past tense in both halves. Conditional guide →

Real Е́сли за́втра _____ дождь, мы оста́немся до́ма. If it rains tomorrow, we’ll stay at home.
Unreal Е́сли бы у меня́ _____ де́ньги, я бы купи́л маши́ну. If I had money, I would buy a car.
Too late Е́сли бы ты позвони́л, я бы _____ If you had called, I would have come.
Wish _____ бы сейча́с на мо́ре! If only I were at the seaside now!

4. Names and patronymics

Build the patronymic from the father’s name, and choose how to address each person. Formal and informal guide →

FatherИва́н His son’s patronymic?
FatherСерге́й His daughter’s patronymic?
Speaking toyour teacher, А́нна Петро́вна How do you greet her?
Speaking toa close friend, Алекса́ндр What do friends call him?

5. Punctuation and direct speech

Russian marks dialogue with a long dash, and quotations with «guillemets». Commas are required before что, кото́рый and other linking words. Punctuation guide →

— Ты придёшь? — спроси́ла она́.— Коне́чно,— отве́тил он.Он сказа́л: «До за́втра». “Are you coming?” she asked.“Of course,” he answered.He said: “See you tomorrow.”
A dash opens each spoken line; another dash separates the speaker’s words from “she asked”. In quotations, the full stop goes outside the «».
  1. Which is punctuated correctly?
  2. Which is punctuated correctly?
  3. Which is punctuated correctly?
  4. Which is punctuated correctly?

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Your result
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Unit 06 checkpoint →