The verb «to be » + Participle II.

The Bun

Once there lived an old man and old woman. The old man said, "Old woman, bake me a bun." "What can I make it from? I have no flour." "Eh, eh, old woman! Scrape the cupboard, sweep the flour bin, and you will find enough flour." The old woman picked up a duster, scraped the cupboard, swept the flour bin and gathered about two handfuls of flour. She mixed the dough with sour cream, fried it in butter, and put the bun on the window sill to cool. The bun lay and lay there. Suddenly it rolled off the window sill to the bench, from the bench to the floor, from the floor to the door. Then it rolled over the threshold to the entrance hall, from the entrance hall to the porch, from the porch to the courtyard, from the courtyard through the gate and on and on. The bun rolled along the road and met a hare. "Little bun, little bun, I shall eat you up!" said the hare. "Don't eat me, slant-eyed hare! I will sing you a song," said the bun, and sang: I was Scraped from the cupboard, Swept from the bin, Kneaded with sour cream, Fried in butter, and Cooled on the sill. I got away from Grandpa, I got away from Grandma And I'll get away from you, gray wolf! And the bun rolled away before the wolf even saw it move! The bun rolled on and met a bear. "Little bun, little bun, I shall eat you up," the bear said. "You will not, pigeon toes!" And the bun sang: I was Scraped from the cupboard, Swept from the bin, Kneaded with sour cream, Fried in butter, and Cooled on the sill. I got away from Grandpa, I got away from Grandma I got away from the hare, I got away from the wolf, And I'll get away from you, big bear! And again the bun rolled away before the bear even saw it move! The bun rolled and rolled and met a fox. "Hello, little bun, how nice you are!" said the fox. And the bun sang: I was Scraped from the cupboard, Swept from the bin, Kneaded with sour cream, Fried in butter, and Cooled on the sill. I got away from Grandpa, I got away from Grandma, I got away from the hare, I got away from the wolf, I got away from bear, And I'll get away from you, old fox! "What a wonderful song!" said the fox. "But little bun, I have became old now and hard of hearing. Come sit on my snout and sing your song again a little louder." The bun jumped up on the fox's snout and sang the same song. "Thank you, little bun, that was a wonderful song. I'd like to hear it again. Come sit on my tongue and sing it for the last time," said the fox, sticking out her tongue. The bun foolishly jumped onto her tongue and – snatch! - she ate it.
 

MODULE III

The verb «to be» + Participle II is used in the following cases:

 

a) When it denotes an action. In this case it is a simple predicate expressed by a verb in the Passive Voice.

▪ The room is cleaned and aired every day.

Комнату убирают и проветривают каждый день.

b) When it denotes a state. In this case it is a compound nominal predicate which consists of a link verb «to be» + Participle II as a predicative.

· This work was done.

Работа была выполнена.

The predicate «was done» denotes the state of being done. Such predicates are translated into Russian by the verb быть + краткая форма страдательного причастия. In the Present Tense the verb «быть» is not used.

· The light is switched on.

Свет включён.

But: The light was switched on.

      Свет был включен.

 

Not to confuse and not to make mistakes using these two forms, there are some useful tips:

 

1. It is the simple predicate (with the verb in the Passive Voice) in the following cases:

a) When the doer of the action is indicated:

· Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates.

b) When the verb is used in the Continuous or Perfect forms:

· The report is still being prepared.

· Has the composition been written?

c) When there is an adverbial modifier of time, place, frequency.

· The pyramids were built around 400 AD.

· A new shopping mall was opened in our district.

· This film is much spoken about.

 

2. It is the compound nominal predicate, denoting the state:

a) When the verb «to be» is used in the Present or Past Perfect Inclusive:

· Why don’t you go and take your documents? They are already ready. They have been typed for these two hours.

Почему вы не идете и не забираете свои документы? Они уже готовы. Уже два часа как они напечатаны.

· Our suitcases had been packed for the whole hour and we were impatiently waiting for the taxi.

Уже целый час, как были упакованы наши чемоданы, и мы с нетерпением ожидали такси.

b) When Participle II denotes a state of mind.

· He was frightened by a loud cry.

Он был напуган громким криком.

In this case preposition «by» denotes the cause of the state but not the doer of the action.

· She was disappointed by that sad news.