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Idiomatic Expressions: Fixed Case Patterns 1
Practise case forms in 12 fixed expressions, from держать себя в руках to дело в шляпе.
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Browse Cases practiceQuestion 1
Она без ___ от этой песни и слушает её каждый день.
English context
Choose the form of ум in the fixed expression meaning 'crazy about'. Translation: She is crazy about this song and listens to it every day.
Options
- ум
- ума
- уму
- умом
Accepted answers and explanation
Accepted answers
- ума
Correct feedback
Без ума от means 'crazy about'. Без requires the genitive: ума.
Grammar rule
Без + genitive: без ума. The object of enthusiasm follows от + genitive.
Question 2
После этого странного звонка мне стало не по ___.
English context
Choose the form of себя in the fixed expression meaning 'uneasy'. Translation: After that strange phone call, I began to feel uneasy.
Options
- себя
- собой
- себе
- собою
Accepted answers and explanation
Accepted answers
- себе
Correct feedback
Не по себе means 'uneasy' or 'not oneself'. The fixed phrase uses dative себе.
Grammar rule
In не по себе, по takes the dative form себе. The person feeling uneasy is also dative: мне.
Question 3
Хотя он очень злился, он держал себя в ___ и говорил спокойно.
English context
Choose the form of руки (plural) meaning 'kept himself under control'. Translation: Although he was very angry, he kept himself under control and spoke calmly.
Options
- руки
- руками
- рук
- руках
Accepted answers and explanation
Accepted answers
- руках
Correct feedback
Держать себя в руках means 'keep oneself under control'. Руках is prepositional plural.
Grammar rule
Держать себя в руках uses в + prepositional plural: руках.
Question 4
Услышав грубый ответ, он вышел из ___ и начал кричать.
English context
Choose the form of себя meaning 'lost his temper'. Translation: On hearing the rude reply, he lost his temper and started shouting.
Options
- себя
- себе
- собой
- собою
Accepted answers and explanation
Accepted answers
- себя
Correct feedback
Выйти из себя means 'lose one's temper'. Из requires genitive себя.
Grammar rule
Выйти из себя uses из + genitive of the reflexive pronoun.
Question 5
Мы весь вечер ломали ___ над этой загадкой, но так и не нашли ответ.
English context
Choose the form of голова meaning 'racked our brains'. Translation: We racked our brains over this riddle all evening but never found the answer.
Options
- головой
- голове
- голову
- голова
Accepted answers and explanation
Accepted answers
- голову
Correct feedback
Ломать голову means 'rack one's brains'. Голову is the accusative direct object.
Grammar rule
Ломать голову uses accusative голову; the problem follows над + instrumental.
Question 6
Даже после неудачи она не падала ___ и продолжала работать.
English context
Choose the form of дух meaning 'did not lose heart'. Translation: Even after the setback, she did not lose heart and kept working.
Options
- дух
- духом
- духу
- духа
Accepted answers and explanation
Accepted answers
- духом
Correct feedback
Не падать духом means 'not lose heart'. Духом is instrumental singular.
Grammar rule
Падать духом has a fixed instrumental form: духом. This is not a general case rule for падать.
Question 7
От этого бесконечного шума можно сойти с ___!
English context
Choose the form of ум in an informal exaggeration meaning 'go crazy'. Translation: This endless noise could drive anyone crazy!
Options
- умом
- ум
- ума
- уме
Accepted answers and explanation
Accepted answers
- ума
Correct feedback
Сойти с ума means 'go crazy'. Here с takes the genitive: ума.
Grammar rule
Сойти с ума uses с + genitive, unlike с + instrumental meaning 'with'.
Question 8
Перед экзаменом друзья пожелали мне: «Ни пуха ни ___!»
English context
Choose the form of перо in the traditional good-luck wish. Translation: Before the exam, my friends wished me good luck!
Options
- перо
- пером
- перу
- пера
Accepted answers and explanation
Accepted answers
- пера
Correct feedback
Ни пуха ни пера is a traditional good-luck wish. Both пуха and пера are genitive singular.
Grammar rule
Ни пуха ни пера preserves genitive singular forms in a fixed negative wish; ни does not always require genitive in other sentences.
Question 9
Все документы подписаны — дело в ___!
English context
Choose the form of шляпа in the expression meaning 'it's in the bag'. Translation: All the documents are signed—it's in the bag!
Options
- шляпу
- шляпа
- шляпе
- шляпой
Accepted answers and explanation
Accepted answers
- шляпе
Correct feedback
Дело в шляпе means that success is assured. Шляпе is prepositional singular after в.
Grammar rule
Дело в шляпе uses в + prepositional: шляпе.
Question 10
От нашего дома до станции ___ подать — всего две минуты пешком.
English context
Choose the form of рука meaning 'a stone's throw away'. Translation: The station is a stone's throw from our house—just a two-minute walk.
Options
- рукой
- руку
- руке
- рука
Accepted answers and explanation
Accepted answers
- рукой
Correct feedback
Рукой подать means 'very close by'. Рукой is instrumental singular.
Grammar rule
Рукой подать has fixed instrumental рукой. The destination follows до + genitive.
Question 11
Спасибо за помощь! Благодарю вас от всего ___.
English context
Choose the form of сердце meaning 'from the bottom of my heart'. Translation: Thank you for your help! I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Options
- сердце
- сердцу
- сердцем
- сердца
Accepted answers and explanation
Accepted answers
- сердца
Correct feedback
От всего сердца means 'wholeheartedly'. От requires genitive, so both всего and сердца are genitive.
Grammar rule
От всего сердца uses от + genitive singular, with the modifier всего agreeing with сердца.
Question 12
Он работал спустя ___, поэтому в отчёте было много ошибок.
English context
Choose the form of рукава (plural) meaning 'carelessly'. Translation: He worked carelessly, so there were many mistakes in the report.
Options
- рукавов
- рукава
- рукавами
- рукавах
Accepted answers and explanation
Accepted answers
- рукава
Correct feedback
Работать спустя рукава means 'work carelessly'. Рукава is accusative plural in this fixed phrase.
Grammar rule
Спустя рукава preserves an accusative object after спустя, historically a verbal adverb meaning 'having lowered'. The idiomatic phrase is normally not set off by commas.