Plural roles, professions, and states
Predicate instrumental extends directly to plural classifications after being, becoming, and working as.
- The plural role noun may refer to several roles or to a class assigned to several subjects. Context resolves whether each person has the same profession or different roles.
- Tense pattern: Они́ студе́нты now; Они́ бы́ли студе́нтами last year.
| Construction | Example | Analysis |
|---|---|---|
| present identification | Они́ врачи́. | nominative plural |
| past role | Они́ бы́ли врача́ми. | instrumental plural |
| become | Они́ ста́ли учителя́ми. | new roles |
| work as | Они́ рабо́тают перево́дчиками. | professional function |
| serve as | Э́ти фа́кты явля́ются причи́нами. | formal predicate relation |
Mini-check
1. Change to past: Они́ учителя́. 2. Build: They became doctors.
Apply this next
- Retrieve the rule without looking, then continue to the next lesson.