Learn Hardcore Russian: Пылесос помогает быстро очистить ковёр в гостиной. - The vacuum cleaner helps quickly clean the carpet in the living room.

The sentence follows a Subject–Verb–Infinitive pattern. Пылесос (vacuum cleaner) is the subject, помогает (helps) is the main verb, and the infinitive phrase быстро очистить ковёр indicates the action being facilitated. Finally, в гостиной functions as an adverbial expression that shows where the carpet is being cleaned.

Why is the verb очистить in its infinitive form after помогает?

In Russian, verbs like помогать (to help) are commonly followed by an infinitive to express the action that is being assisted. This construction is similar to English, where we say "helps [to] clean," keeping the main action in its basic form.

What role does the adverb быстро play in this sentence, and which verb does it modify?

Быстро means "quickly" and modifies the verb очистить. It describes the manner in which the carpet is cleaned, emphasizing speed. Even though its placement between the helper verb and the infinitive might seem unusual from an English perspective, it is a natural arrangement in Russian to stress the efficiency of the action.

Why is очистить in the perfective aspect, and what does that tell us about the action?

Очистить is in the perfective aspect, which implies that the intent is to complete the action fully and successfully. Using the perfective here suggests that the carpet will be thoroughly cleaned, with a focus on the result rather than the ongoing process.

What function does the phrase в гостиной serve in the sentence?

В гостиной is a prepositional phrase that acts as an adverbial modifier of place. It tells us where the cleaning occurs — in the living room — thereby providing important contextual information about the location of the action.