Breakdown of Преподавательница настойчиво просила нас не писать ответ наугад.
писать
to write
не
not
ответ
the answer
нас
us
Questions & Answers about Преподавательница настойчиво просила нас не писать ответ наугад.
Why is the word преподавательница used here?
Преподавательница means female teacher / female instructor / female lecturer. It is the feminine form of преподаватель.
A learner might compare it with учительница, but they are not always the same:
- учительница = usually a schoolteacher
- преподавательница = usually someone who teaches a subject, often in a college, university, or more formal educational setting
So this word gives both the job and the fact that the teacher is female.
Is преподавательница a completely normal word, or would Russians more often say преподаватель even for a woman?
Both are possible.
- преподавательница explicitly marks the teacher as female.
- преподаватель can also be used for a woman, especially in more formal or institutional language.
So преподавательница is understandable and natural, but in some contexts Russians may prefer преподаватель regardless of gender. A learner should recognize both.
What form is просила, exactly?
Просила is:
It agrees with преподавательница, which is feminine singular.
Compare:
- преподаватель просил = the male teacher asked
- преподавательница просила = the female teacher asked
So the -а ending shows feminine past tense.