Questions & Answers about Это последний вопрос на сегодня.
Why is это used here?
In this sentence, это works like this / it is in English:
- Это последний вопрос на сегодня.
- literally: This is the last question for today.
Russian often uses это to identify or present something. In English, we would usually need is, but Russian normally leaves out the present-tense verb to be.
So the structure is roughly:
- Это = this / it
- последний вопрос = the last question
- на сегодня = for today
Why is there no word for is?
Because in modern Russian, the verb to be is usually omitted in the present tense.
So:
- Это последний вопрос. = This is the last question.
But in past or future tense, Russian does use forms of to be:
- Это был последний вопрос. = This was the last question.
- Это будет последний вопрос. = This will be the last question.
So the missing is is completely normal.
Why is it это, not этот?