Learn Hardcore Russian: Прошлый год был интересным.

Прошлый means "last" or "past"; год means "year"; был is the masculine singular past form of the verb "быть" (to be); and интересным is the adjective "interesting" in the instrumental case. So, the whole sentence translates to "Last year was interesting."

Why is the adjective интересным in the instrumental case instead of the nominative?

In Russian, when using a linking verb like был (was) in the past tense, the predicate adjective is typically put in the instrumental case to express the state or quality of the subject. Since год (year) is the subject and is masculine, интересным is the masculine instrumental form of интересный to agree with it.

How does agreement work between the subject, verb, and predicate in this sentence?

The subject год is masculine and singular. The past tense verb был is also in the masculine singular form to match the subject. The adjective интересным is in its masculine singular instrumental form, matching both the gender and case required by a predicate adjective after a linking verb. This agreement in gender, number, and case helps convey a clear and grammatically correct idea.

What is the role of был in this sentence?

Был is the past tense form of быть (to be) and functions as the linking verb. It connects the subject Прошлый год with the descriptive predicate интересным, indicating that last year (the subject) had the state or quality of being interesting.

Does the word order in "Прошлый год был интересным" affect its meaning compared to the English translation "Last year was interesting"?

The word order in Russian here follows a standard structure: subject (Прошлый год), linking verb (был), and predicate adjective (интересным). While Russian word order can be more flexible than English, this order is clear and natural. It emphasizes that last year is the topic that is being described as interesting. Unlike English, where word order is rigid, Russian allows for some variation, but in this sentence, the straightforward order helps maintain clarity.