It seems that to distinguish between animate and inanimate objects to indecent is simple: it is like a game of living and nonliving. But those who are guided by this principle are very mistaken. Animation, as well as inanimateness, respectively, is a separate category in the characterization of the noun, which has nothing to do with the external signs of a certain object. Here's how to explain that, according to the rules, the word "corpse" is considered inanimate, and "dead" - animate? Act at random? In no case! We'll figure out.
For the smallest
Let's start with the basics. Animate and inanimate objects answer different questions - “who” and “what”, respectively. We can say that posing the question is the most primitive, albeit very unreliable way of defining this category. Usually they introduce him to children in the first or second grade. In order to practice this method, you can fill in the gaps with the students in the following text:
“ Great sleepiness flows in sleepy oblivion (what?). Around (what?) And (what?). (Who?) Slowly moved his skis, shook off (what?) From his ears. (Who?) Quickly made a hole, and began (what?). Soon he pulled out a huge one (whom?). His mirror (what?) Shone brightly in the sun . ” Words to be inserted: ice, scales, fisherman, hoarfrost, river, carp, snow, fishing . One word is repeated twice.
Grammatical explanation
But it’s worth going further, right? How to determine an animate or inanimate object, based on the rules, and not on intuition? The difference between the two categories is in the different case forms of the noun. Inanimate nouns coincide in the form of the nominative and accusative case in the plural, while in animated nouns - the genitive and accusative in the same number. Of course, sorting out specific examples will be much easier.
Take the noun " cat ". We put it in the plural “cats” and begin to incline: nominative - “ cats ”, genitive - “ cats ”, accusative - “ cats ” - as you can see, the forms of the genitive and accusative cases coincide. Whereas for the noun “ table ”, which for the definition of this category turns into “ tables ” with the declension “ tables-tables-tables ”, the accusative and nominative cases are the same .
Thus, the rule allows one to separate the animate and inanimate object only when setting them in the plural and subsequent declension. And then, by coincidence of case forms, this category is determined.
Exceptions
But, as you know, in the Russian language there are very few rules that have no exceptions. Thus, it is sometimes possible to separate animate and inanimate objects logically. Yes, all living creatures will be animated, but at the same time mythical creatures ( goblin-goblin-goblin-goblin ) and the names of toys ( nesting dolls, nesting dolls and nesting dolls ) belong to the same category - here you can still find a logical explanation. As well as card and chess suits, pieces ( spades, spades, spades, pawns, pawns, pawns ), which even in their forms do not fit this category.
Move on. Inanimate nouns, in turn, include large groups of people ( crowds-crowds-crowds ) and some living organisms ( embryos-embryos-embryos; microbes-microbes-microbes ) - it is impossible to explain this phenomenon, you just have to accept and remember.
More difficulties
I would also like to add that animate and inanimate objects in a grammatical sense have their own characteristics. So, for example, for animate masculine nouns, the forms of the genitive and accusative cases coincide in the singular: Anton-Anton-Anton, accountant-bookkeeper-bookkeeper , however, this phenomenon is observed only in nouns of the second declension (compare: Dima-Dima-Dima , although it is also an animated masculine noun). So, in principle, this regularity can be used as another simple, albeit not very well-known, way of determining the category of animation in nouns.
I want to confuse
It is worth noting that in Russian there is an image of an inanimate object as animate. This is usually associated with the use of the word as an analogy to a living creature: There is a mattress in the barn - Yes, the mattress is limp! or Great and powerful Russian! - This language (= captive) will tell us everything .
Exactly the same phenomenon occurs with the use of animated nouns as inanimate: A kite soars in the blue sky; The fighter went down . Here the category of animation and inanimateness is determined on the basis of the semantic content of the noun.
It is worth noting that, despite all the requirements of teachers to use the rules, most students continue to rely on intuition. As the above examples show, the inner flair is not always a reliable assistant in matters of philology. We can definitely say that the names of professions, the names of people by family, nationality and other groups will always be animated, the names of animals can also be attributed here. By the way, among the animate nouns, as some researchers believe, there are only masculine and feminine words, while the middle gender is already inanimate, like all names of objects of nature and other objects.
Practice for the smallest
Now that we have figured out how to distinguish one category of nouns from another, it is worth summarizing all of the above. Animate and inanimate objects for preschoolers, who still have no idea what the cases are, differ on the questions of “who” and “what”, respectively. For practice, you can play with the kids in the "living-inanimate", where the word is called, and the child must determine what this subject is.
Or another interesting task for younger schoolchildren is to offer a series of animated nouns that can be turned into inanimate ones by replacing one letter: fox (linden), goat (braid), heron (drop) .
And advice for older people
I would like to end the article on how to distinguish between animate and inanimate objects by the fact that, no matter how simple this topic may seem, it is better not to tempt fate and not act at random, trusting intuition. A minute spent checking the category of a noun can sometimes change your idea of it. So do not spare your strength and practice in the great and powerful Russian language.