Breakdown of Pila je čaj provjeravajući novi dokument.
nov
new
čaj
tea
piti
to drink
dokument
document (m)
provjeravati
to check (imperfective)
Questions & Answers about Pila je čaj provjeravajući novi dokument.
How exactly do we build the word provjeravajući?
It is the present verbal adverb, meaning "while checking". You form it by taking the 3rd person plural present tense of the imperfective verb provjeravati (they check = provjeravaju) and simply adding the suffix -ći to the end.
Can I say "while she was checking" using a normal clause instead of this -ći form?
Yes, you can use dok (while) with the matching tense: Pila je čaj dok je provjeravala novi dokument. The -ći form means the exact same thing but is a bit more elegant and requires both actions to share the same subject ("she").
Why doesn't the ending of novi dokument change if it is the direct object?
It actually is in the accusative case because it is the object being checked (provjeravajući). However, since dokument is a masculine inanimate noun (a non-living thing), its accusative form looks exactly like its nominative (dictionary) form.
Could we use the perfective verb popila je (she drank up) as the main verb here?
It would sound a bit mismatched. The adverb provjeravajući implies a continuous background action. To emphasize that both actions were ongoing and happening at the same time, we use the imperfective main verb pila je (she was drinking).
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