Learning the Russian language is one of the main points of the school curriculum. Almost all eleven years, students have been working on improving their spoken and written language. Nevertheless, difficulties always arise with this for several reasons. Firstly, it’s quite difficult to learn the native language. The subconscious dictates the following thing: "Once the language is native, then by default, I always speak correctly." Which sometimes is far from the case. The second reason may be reluctance and outright laziness of the student. In any case, the most common mistakes are incorrect accentuation, unacceptable use of words, and in writing various grammatical, punctuation and stylistic errors.
In this article we will analyze the most common errors associated with the use of word forms, which for the most part depend on the root. We will do this by examining the basics with alternating -lag-, -log-. Examples of errors in words with such roots are found daily.
What is root
The word consists of the so-called morphemes - parts of the word. This includes the prefix, root, suffix, ending and postfix. Root is a required morpheme. A word can contain neither a prefix, nor a suffix and have a zero ending (in fact, it does not exist), as, for example, the word "mother". There are two types of roots: constant and alternating. In the first case, the root form remains unchanged when the word declenses in cases. In the second case, when the form of the word changes, the morpheme itself is modified. This is because the words have a common meaning, but the use itself differs according to grammatical rules. A vivid example would be words with the root -lag-, -lag-. We use them every day in our colloquial and written language.
Why do the roots change
As already mentioned above, the roots in the words can change with the declension of the word in cases. Why is this happening? For example, the alternation of the roots -lag-, -log- is explained by the rules of the Russian language. If you try to more accurately understand the reason for the modification of the main morpheme, then it is easy to find out that the reason lies in the wide variety of root words. In other words, in Russian speech there are too many words that have different shapes, but meanings that are similar in meaning. As an example, consider the words -lag-, -log-. In the most common variant, these morphemes are used in the word "put" or similar. The word means the union of any objects in one place or in one whole.
The word "compose" is his root. When pronouncing it, the first thing that comes to mind is the composition of any works. For example, "make up legends." Nevertheless, with the seemingly initial differences, the words are really similar in meaning. Both designate the combination of objects (in the first case, something material, in the second - the addition of letters into syllables and so on). In general, for the roots -lag-, -lag- the rule is defined unambiguously, but about it a little later.
Alternating Roots
In the school, at the lessons of the Russian language in the section on word formation, a section such as roots with alternation is studied in sufficient detail . The reason for this is that students make many mistakes when using them. Among the most recognizable roots can be called -rost-, -rast-, -hor-, -gar-, as well as the roots -lag-, lay. Examples can be given indefinitely, because there will certainly be such words, one of the forms of which will be with a modified root.
It would seem that if you know how words are pronounced, then there should be no problems with the writing of these morphemes. Unfortunately, this is not the case. In some cases, you have to turn to directories in which there is material on the use of roots.
rules
As with the entire school curriculum, there are rules in Russian. They are in all sections, starting with spelling and ending with punctuation. Morphemic was no exception. Since in the article we consider precisely the roots -lag-, -lag-, the rule will be formulated specifically for them. For most other alternating pairs, there is a lot of information in the additional literature. It is important to note that the Russian language is one of those few subjects where the wording of the rules is not required to be memorized. The most important thing is to understand the meaning and be able to put knowledge into practice. Nevertheless, the rules are formulated for all situations, except for obvious ones.
The rule for -lag-, -log-
In Russian, the spelling -lag-, -lag- is determined by an unambiguous rule. Its wording is as follows: if a vowel sound is unstressed before the letter “g”, then “a” is written. In that case, if there is a letter "g", you should write "o". The rule is quite simple and easy to remember, if only because at the hearing words and roots with alternating -lag-, -log-. Examples are also obvious: attach, lay, attach, fold and so on.
The rule, like everything else in life, has an exception, but we'll talk about it a bit later. So, you should firmly remember this rule in order to be sure of the use of the word.
Features of the use of root
You probably already noticed that all the above examples were used with prefixes. This is the main feature. Words with the root -lag-, -log- are not used without a prefix morpheme. Some people forget about this feature, as a result of which words that are unacceptable for use are obtained. The only exception is the word "go to bed". In all other cases, in the words with -lag-, -lag- the rule states that it is necessary to use prefixes. Particular attention should be paid to this feature, since it is precisely about it that many people often forget. The use of these roots with alternation without prefixes is the most common mistake in oral speech. It seems that everyone has heard at least once the words "lay down" and so on. Such use is unacceptable. To indicate this action, the substitute word “put” and its word forms should be used.
Alternating Root Exceptions
It was discussed above how the rule for -lag-, -log- is formulated. Examples were given, but an exception was mentioned. There is one such word - it is "canopy". Here, as we see, in front of the letter "g" stands "o". It should be noted that under the stress the letter is not in the root, and there is a prefix. That is, all conditions are met, except for the main one - the use of the letter in accordance with the rule.
What is a canopy? Explanatory dictionaries give the meaning of this meaning: the curtain that blocks the bed. Nowadays, such an interior item can only be found in villages, from which it can be concluded that the word was used in antiquity, when similar spelling rules were not yet deduced.
Basic Root Mistakes
As mentioned above, not only students, but also many residents of our entire country, can hardly cope with the task of correct pronunciation and compliance with elementary grammar rules. Words are distorted, their style is violated, any pronunciation rules are not taken into account. So, our roots -log-, -log- are most “afraid” of use without prefixes. Unfortunately, this rule is neglected by many. Often you can hear such "word forms" as "lie down", "lies down" and so on. Among other things, the emphasis in these "words" is also placed incorrectly - on the root vowel. It should be remembered that it is unacceptable to use them in any case. If there is a desire to put something, then it can also be "put", that is, use a synonym, the use of which is permissible. Another of these incidents can be considered the word "plant".
Despite the fact that officially it is permissible, for him there is a more correct form - “plant”. The first type was often used before, perhaps that is why there was still room for it in our speech.
How to avoid mistakes
Many ask how to speak correctly. The answer is quite simple: you need to read as many books as possible. A person’s visual memory is structured in such a way that it captures unfamiliar things and “stores” them first in operational and then in long-term memory. In other words, after reading a book with a certain number of new words, they will gradually “settle” in memory. The fastening will take place automatically, since the psychology of man is built mostly on imitation. Subconsciously, the brain will “wedge” new words into your speech, so that the words will gradually enter the vocabulary and will remain there forever. When it comes to writing, the visual mechanism of memorization will work - the word will be written by itself. In spoken language, in order to prevent such blunders, which were described above, the advice is similar. Another, albeit controversial, tip will be to correct others. Surely there are people around you who use these or those words incorrectly. By correcting them, you will not only remind yourself of the correct pronunciation, but also help others.
Conclusion
The article examined the rules for using roots -lag-, -lag-, examples of words in which they are contained. It should also be said that Russian is the most difficult language in the whole world. In no other linguistic education is there such a complex system of connecting words by case, number, gender. That is why it is impossible to know everything to the smallest detail. This is not required. A self-respecting person, among other things, is distinguished by the ability to speak competently and coherently. In order to learn this, it is not necessary to sit for days at dictionaries and textbooks - such an approach will not give positive results. It is enough to regularly read books and communicate in a language that helps to keep fit. If you want to learn to speak a literary language, you can attend linguistic courses - this will be a very good practice in improving the language.