Princeton University

Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures

Russian Language Placement Exam

Name (please print very clearly)____________________________________________________

E-mail (so we can send you the results) ______________________________________________
Previous study of Russian (how long; where; textbook(s) used; study in Russia; native speaker)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Part I.

Answer the following questions in Russian using complete sentences. Write out all
numbers.

1. Whats your name?

2. Whats your mothers name? (Complete sentence!)

3. What day is today? Whats todays date? (Two answers.)

4. Whats the weather like today?

5. When is your birthday?

6. Where were you born and where did you grow up?

7. What year will you be in at Princeton?

8. How old were you when you learned to read? (Lie if you dont remember.)

9. What did you want to be(come) when you were in 8th grade? (Complete sentence!)

10. What time is it?

11. What are you interested in?

12. Who was elected president in 2000? (Be sure to spell out the year .)

Part II.

Fill in the blanks. Be careful the nouns and adjectives may change from sentence to
sentence. All nouns are singular, unless indicated otherwise. Use if no additional
ending is needed.

_________ _________ _________ _________?

_________ _________ _________ _________?
_________ _________ _________ _________?
_________ _________ _________ _________? (plural)

_________ _________ _________?

_________ _________ _________ _________?
_________ _________ _________? (plural)

_________ _________ _________ _________.

_________ _________ _________ _________.
_________ _________ _________. (plural)
_________ _________ _________. (plural)

_________ _________ _________.

_________ _________ _________ _________.
_________ _________.
_________ _________ _________ ________. (plural)

_________ _________ _________ _________.

_________ _________ _________ _________.
_________ _________ _________ _________. (plural)

_________ _________ _________.

_________ _________ _________.
_________ _________ _________. (plural)
_________ _________ _________ _________. (plural)

Part III.

Conjugate the following verbs.

buy (perfective one-time action)

Infinitive

_________________________

Imperative

_________________________

(command)

Future

_______________________

Past

______________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

be afraid (of); fear (imperfective non-one-time action)

Infinitive

_________________________

Imperative

_________________________

(command)

Present

_______________________

Past

______________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

drink (imperfective non-one-time action)

Infinitive

_________________________

Imperative

_________________________

(command)

Present

_______________________

Past

______________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

Part IV.

1)

Select the correct form of the participle or gerund and translate the sentences into English.
If you do not intend to place higher than the second-year course, you should skip this
section.

, _______________________________ .
)

2)

_________________________________
)

6)

____________________________, .
)

5)

______________________________ .
)

4)

, __________________________________ -.
)

3)

_____________________________ , .
)

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7)

_____________________ .
)

8)

, _________________________________ .
)

12)

, ___________________ .
)

11)

_________________________ .
)

10)

___________________________________ .
)

9)

__________________________ , .
)

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Part V.

Translate as many of the following sentences as you can into Russian.

1. Im not sure if Vera knows how to play the guitar.

2. No one has any money.

3. + Why werent you (at) home last night? Nina and I went to the movies.

4. I saw Vadik and Lena kissing.

5. + Are you bored? No, Im hungry.

6. Last night from 7:00 to 10:00 I was studying in my room.

7. I dont want you to leave.

8. + Did you like the movie? I thought it was nothing special, but Masha just loved it.

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9. + Where is Vera from? If Im not mistaken, shes from Moscow.

10. Why are you sitting on the floor? Take a seat on the sofa.

11. Marina said she would arrive (at) around 5:00.

12. I went to Russia last summer.

13. If I had the money, I would give (special verb in Russian) you a car for your birthday.

14. Theres nothing for me to write with.

15. Dont open the window. Its cold outside.

16. (On the telephone) + May I speak to Dima? Hes not here. He went to the store for ice cream.

17. + Did anyone call? No. I dont think anyone called.