Just think, such small and tasty vegetables, but how many nerves these little devils managed to spoil the Russians! And it seems that every person meets him almost daily: he prepares salads or soups, and someone even plants in the garden. But so far, many can not figure out the correct pronunciation of this vegetable and all the time doubt: a lot of tomatoes or tomatoes.
A rule familiar from school. But why are there always so many problems with him?
Genitive case of nouns
Perhaps you have not forgotten how you studied and learned nouns in Russian lessons? If you forgot, remember, there are only six of them: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, prepositional. Each of them has two questions - to the animate object and the inanimate.
So, cases of nouns:
- Them. n. Who? What?
- R. p. Whom? What?
- D. p. To whom? Why?
- V. p. Who? What?
- Tv n. By whom? Than?
- Etc. n. About whom? About what?
Assistant Word for Correct Case Definition
For simplicity and ease of memorization, for each of the six cases, assistant words were selected that resembled case questions and helped with the determination of the case. They allowed you to persuade the phrase "a lot of tomatoes or tomatoes" correctly. The words are pretty simple:
- Them. p. - "is."
- R. p. - "no."
- D. p. - "give."
- V. p. - “I see.”
- Tv p. - "satisfied."
- Etc. p. - “I think.”
The noun "tomatoes" is used in the nominative case. But “a lot of tomatoes” (or a tomato after all?), A combination so unloved by the losers, refers to the genitive case. Answers the question "what?".
Nouns with a similar problem
Of course, not only the tomatoes were guilty of something so much that they got such an incomprehensible and causing so much debate and debate ending. In general, there are as many as seven groups of nouns, the pronunciation of which also causes problems. These include the nouns of the plural form of the genitive case:
- Nationality I have no friends of gypsies, Bashkirs and Bulgarians. So many Kalmyks and Yakuts gathered at the rally .
- Paired items. I won’t buy new boots for the winter.
- The distinction of troops by tribal affiliation. The victory was won by a small detachment of partisans. Thanks to the zeal of the sappers, the explosion was avoided.
- Various measurement measures. I bought a hundred volt light bulb. In the New Year, I ate five kilograms of tangerines.
- The name of the items. I put together a whole collection of bracelets.
- Nouns more often used in the plural. No nerves are enough with you!
- Product name. How many apricots have grown in our garden! In the fridge there is a can of sprat, give it to the cat.
Well, guessed how it is: a lot of tomatoes or tomatoes?
Correct answer
It seems a harmless vegetable, lies on a plate and does not touch anyone. Just let the tomato by itself not offend anyone, and the correct pronunciation of the name of the red vegetable in the genitive case is still the subject of endless verbal battles in Internet fights.
To resolve this “war”, try to decline the word “tomato”:
- nominative - "Have something? Three tomatoes. "
- dative - “Give what? Three tomatoes. "
- accusative - “I see what? Three tomatoes. "
- instrumental - “Satisfied with what? Three tomatoes. "
- prepositional - “Thinking of what? About three tomatoes. "
- genitive - “No what? Three (many) tomatoes or tomatoes? ”
The word denoting a red vegetable is a common noun in the singular masculine, suitable only for one group of "problem" nouns - the name of the product.
That’s why it’s right to say or write “a lot of tomatoes.” And in no case "not a lot of tomatoes." Remember, a tomato is a vegetable that alone lies in your plate. The plural form of this noun, used in the genitive case, sounds like "no / many / five, etc. tomatoes."
Now you know how to speak correctly: a lot of tomatoes or tomatoes. Therefore, buying, for example, five kilograms of red vegetable, you will not become the subject of ridicule. If you still forget, use the synonym for tomatoes. And say, "Five kilograms of tomatoes."