Learn Hardcore Russian: Я писал конспект ручкой в аудитории. - I was taking notes with a pen in the auditorium.

Писал is the imperfective past form. It emphasizes the ongoing process or habit of writing notes, not the completion of that action. If you said написал конспект, you’d imply that you finished writing the notes.

Why is конспект (konspekt) in the accusative case?

It’s the direct object of the verb писал. In Russian, the thing being written (or read, eaten, etc.) takes the accusative case.

Why is ручкой (ruchkoy) in the instrumental case?

The instrumental case in Russian indicates the tool or means by which an action is performed. Writing with a pen uses the instrumental: ручка → ручкой.

Why do we say в аудитории (v auditorii) instead of в аудиторию (v auditoriyu)?

В аудитории uses the prepositional case to show location (“in the classroom”). В аудиторию would be accusative and express motion toward (‘into the classroom’).

What exactly does конспект mean?

A конспект is a set of lecture notes or a summary of spoken or written material, usually handwritten in class or during a lecture.

Can you drop the pronoun я in this sentence?

Yes. Russian verbs carry person and number endings, so Я писал конспект can become simply Писал конспект ручкой в аудитории and still mean “I was writing notes with a pen in the auditorium.”

Could word order change? For example, Я писал ручкой конспект в аудитории?

Yes. Russian has fairly flexible word order for emphasis. Moving ручкой before конспект shifts slight focus onto the tool (“with a pen”), but the core meaning stays the same.

Is there any nuance in using в аудитории instead of в классе?

They’re largely interchangeable: в аудитории sounds more formal or academic, while в классе is more general (“in class”). Both correctly convey the idea of being inside a classroom.