Breakdown of Эксперимент проводился несколько часов подряд.
час
the hour
несколько
several
эксперимент
the experiment
проводиться
to be conducted
Questions & Answers about Эксперимент проводился несколько часов подряд.
What case is часов in and why?
Часов is in the genitive plural. In Russian, quantifiers like несколько (“several”) always require the following noun to be in the genitive plural to express an indefinite quantity.
What is подряд doing in this sentence?
Подряд is an adverb meaning “in a row” or “consecutively.” It modifies the duration phrase несколько часов, emphasizing that those hours came one after another without a break.
Why is проводился used instead of an active verb form?
Проводился is the passive imperfective past tense of проводить (“to conduct”). Using the passive voice keeps the focus on the experiment itself rather than on who performed it. If you wanted to name the doer, you could say, for example, Эксперимент проводился учёными…
What aspect does проводился express, and why is that aspect chosen?
It’s the imperfective aspect, which highlights the ongoing nature or duration of the experiment. The speaker wants to stress that the experiment was taking place continuously over several hours, not just that it was completed.
How is несколько часов подряд different from в течение нескольких часов?