Need the rule behind this exercise? Read Pronouns. For the bigger picture, explore Russian grammar.
Pronoun Contrasts in Context 1
Contrast reflexive, intensive, totality, distributive, relative, and indefinite or negative pronouns.
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Browse Pronouns practiceQuestion 1
Девочки положили ___ тетради на стол.
English context
Choose the possessive pronoun meaning “The girls put their own notebooks on the table.”
Options
- свои
- их
- себя
- самих
Accepted answers and explanation
Accepted answers
- свои
Correct feedback
Correct. «Свои» refers back to the subject «девочки» as the owners of the notebooks.
Grammar rule
«Свой» is the reflexive possessive used when the possessor is the subject of its clause; it agrees with the possessed noun.
Question 2
Он уважает ___ и не позволяет другим себя обманывать.
English context
Choose the reflexive pronoun meaning “He respects himself and does not let others deceive him.”
Options
- себе
- свой
- сам
- себя
Accepted answers and explanation
Accepted answers
- себя
Correct feedback
Right. «Уважать кого?» takes the accusative reflexive pronoun «себя».
Grammar rule
The reflexive pronoun «себя» has no nominative form; its accusative form is «себя».
Question 3
Я ___ проверил адрес перед отправкой.
English context
Choose the intensive pronoun meaning “I checked the address myself.”
Options
- себя
- свой
- сам
- весь
Accepted answers and explanation
Accepted answers
- сам
Correct feedback
Correct. «Сам» emphasizes that the subject personally performed the action.
Grammar rule
«Сам» is an intensive pronoun agreeing with the person it emphasizes; it is not a substitute for «себя».
Question 4
___ день шёл дождь.
English context
Choose the form meaning “the whole day (one continuous span),” not “every day.”
Options
- Все
- Весь
- Каждый
- Всё
Accepted answers and explanation
Accepted answers
- Весь
Correct feedback
Yes. «Весь» agrees with masculine singular «день» and refers to the whole duration.
Grammar rule
«Весь» means “the whole/all of” and agrees with its noun; «каждый» means “each/every.”
Question 5
___ участник получил отдельный номер.
English context
Choose the distributive pronoun meaning “Each participant received a separate number.”
Options
- Все
- Каждый
- Весь
- Сам
Accepted answers and explanation
Accepted answers
- Каждый
Correct feedback
Correct. «Каждый» presents participants one by one; masculine singular agreement matches «участник».
Grammar rule
«Каждый» is singular and emphasizes each individual separately; «все» treats a group collectively.
Question 6
Вот статья, ___ мы обсуждали на семинаре.
English context
Choose the relative pronoun meaning “Here is the article that we discussed at the seminar.”
Options
- которая
- которую
- которой
- которым
Accepted answers and explanation
Accepted answers
- которую
Correct feedback
Right. «Обсуждали что?» takes accusative; feminine «статья» gives «которую».
Grammar rule
«Который» agrees in gender and number with its antecedent, while its case is determined by its role in its own clause.
Question 7
На собрание пришли ___ из соседнего отдела.
English context
Choose the pronoun meaning “some people (an unspecified number) from the neighboring department came to the meeting.”
Options
- никто
- каждый
- несколько
- весь
Accepted answers and explanation
Accepted answers
- несколько
Correct feedback
Correct. «Несколько» means “several/some” and takes the genitive «из отдела».
Grammar rule
«Несколько» is an indefinite quantifier meaning “several”; it is distinct from negative «никто» (“nobody”).
Question 8
В этой комнате ___ не работает.
English context
Choose the negative pronoun meaning “Nobody works in this room.”
Options
- кто-то
- кто-нибудь
- никто
- все
Accepted answers and explanation
Accepted answers
- никто
Correct feedback
Yes. «Никто» is the negative subject pronoun and is used with «не» in the predicate.
Grammar rule
Negative pronouns such as «никто» normally occur with a negated verb: «Никто не работает».
Question 9
Если ___ позвонит, попросите его оставить сообщение.
English context
Choose the form for an unrestricted possible caller (“if anyone at all calls”), rather than a particular caller the speaker has in mind.
Options
- кто-нибудь
- кто-то
- никто
- кое-кто
Accepted answers and explanation
Accepted answers
- кто-нибудь
Correct feedback
Correct. In an open condition, «кто-нибудь» means “anyone/someone, whoever it may be.”
Grammar rule
«-нибудь» often presents an unrestricted possible referent in questions and conditions; «-то» can present a particular but unidentified referent, including in a condition.
Question 10
После переезда я ___ не мог найти коробку с документами.
English context
Choose the word meaning “After moving, I just could not manage to find the box with the documents.”
Options
- как-то
- кое-как
- никак
- весь
Accepted answers and explanation
Accepted answers
- никак
Correct feedback
Right. «Никак не мог найти» means “could not manage to find” or “just could not find”; it does not specifically mean “nowhere.”
Grammar rule
With a negated verb, «никак» commonly expresses inability or that an action cannot be managed: «никак не мог найти» (“could not manage to find”).