Learn Hardcore Turkish: Öğretmen kısa bir özet istiyor, yoksa sunum uzayacak. - The teacher wants a short summary, otherwise the presentation will be long.

Because it’s an indefinite direct object: “a short summary.” In Turkish, indefinite objects do not take the accusative. You add the accusative only when the object is specific/definite: “Öğretmen özeti istiyor” = “The teacher wants the summary (that specific one).”

Can I say “bir kısa özet” instead of “kısa bir özet”?

The neutral, most natural order is adjective + bir + noun: kısa bir özet. “Bir kısa özet” is generally avoided in neutral speech; putting bir first can sound marked or emphatic in certain contexts, so stick to “kısa bir özet.”

Why use “istiyor” (present continuous) rather than “ister” (aorist) or “isteyecek” (future)?

istiyor: “wants/is asking (now).” This is the normal way to state a current request or requirement.
ister: habitual/general: “(A/the) teacher (typically) asks for a short summary.” More formal or generic.
isteyecek: “will want.” Future prediction; not needed here because the wanting is already in effect.

Why is it “istiyor” and not “isteyor”?

With the progressive suffix -(I)yor, stems ending in -a/-e typically drop that vowel: iste- + -iyor → istiyor, bekle- + -iyor → bekliyor. So “isteyor” is not correct.

What exactly does “yoksa” mean here?

yoksa literally comes from “yok” (there isn’t) + conditional “-sa”: “if not.” In practice it means “otherwise / or else,” linking two independent clauses: if the first condition isn’t met, the second will happen.

Is “yoksa” the same as “ya da/veya” or “aksi halde”?

ya da / veya = “or” (choice), not “otherwise.”
yoksa = “otherwise / or else.” It can also appear as “or” only in questions offering alternatives (e.g., “Çay mı içersin, yoksa kahve mi?”).
aksi halde / aksi takdirde = “otherwise,” but more formal/written than “yoksa.”

Why “sunum uzayacak” and not “sunum uzun olacak”?

uzayacak (from uzamak) expresses a change: it will get longer/drag on.
uzun olacak simply predicts a state (“it will be long”) and doesn’t highlight the idea of it lengthening as a consequence of not summarizing. The sentence implies the presentation will run long if you don’t keep it short.

What’s the difference between “uzamak” and “uzatmak”?

uzamak: intransitive “to lengthen, to get longer” (no object). “Sunum uzayacak.”
uzatmak: transitive “to prolong, to extend (something)” (takes an object). “Bu ayrıntılar sunumu uzatacak.”

Can I express the purpose instead of using “otherwise”? Like “so that the presentation doesn’t get long”?

Yes: “Öğretmen sunum uzamasın diye kısa bir özet istiyor.” Here -masın is a negative wish/imperative form (“so that it won’t get long”), and diye marks purpose.

Is the word order fixed? Can I move parts around?

Neutral Turkish word order is S–O–V: Öğretmen [kısa bir özet] istiyor. You can move constituents for emphasis, e.g., “Kısa bir özet istiyor öğretmen,” which foregrounds the object and puts the subject after the verb. But the given order is the most common and neutral.

Why is there a comma before “yoksa”? Could I use a semicolon or a full stop?

“Yoksa” links two independent clauses; a comma is standard. A semicolon is also acceptable for clarity: “Öğretmen kısa bir özet istiyor; yoksa sunum uzayacak.” You can even start a new sentence: “Öğretmen kısa bir özet istiyor. Yoksa sunum uzayacak.”

How do I pronounce the special letters here (ğ, ı, ö, ç, u)?

ğ: lengthens the preceding vowel; not a hard “g.” “Öğretmen” ≈ “Öö-retmen.”
ı (dotless i): close, back, unrounded vowel (like the vowel in Turkish “kız”); “kısa” ≈ “kɯ-sa.”
ö: front rounded vowel (like German “ö,” French “eu” in “peu”).
ç: “ch” as in “church.”
u: back rounded as in “put,” not “oo” of “food.”

Why is there a “y” in “uzayacak”? What suffix is this?

It’s the future suffix -(y)Acak/-(y)ecek. The verb stem here is “uza-” (ends in a vowel), and the suffix begins with a vowel, so the buffer consonant y is inserted: uza + (y)acak → uzayacak. Vowel harmony picks a (last vowel “u” is back), hence “-acak,” not “-ecek.”

Does “sunum” mean “the presentation” or “a presentation” here?

Bare nouns in Turkish are context-dependent. Here it’s naturally “the presentation” (the one being discussed). If you wanted “a presentation,” you could say bir sunum, but using “bir” for subjects is less common unless you’re emphasizing “one/a certain.” Note: Sunumun uzayacak means “Your presentation will get long” (2nd person possessive).

Could I say “Sunum uzar” or “Sunum uzayabilir” instead? What’s the nuance?

uzayacak: firm prediction/warning (“will get long”).
uzar (aorist): general tendency or a neutral conditional consequence (“it gets long / it’ll get long”).
uzayabilir: possibility (“might get long”), softening the claim.

Is “kısa” ever “kısaca”? When do I use “kısaca”?

kısa is an adjective for nouns: kısa bir özet (“a short summary”). kısaca is an adverb for verbs: “Konuyu kısaca açıkla” (“Explain the topic briefly”). “Kısaca bir özet” is redundant and unidiomatic; use “kısa bir özet.”

Can I make the first clause more formal?

Yes:

“Öğretmen kısa bir özet istemektedir.” (formal progressive)
“Öğretmen kısa bir özet talep ediyor/etmektedir.” (“requests,” more formal/official)

Can I rewrite it without “yoksa” using an explicit conditional?

Yes:

“Kısa bir özet verilmezse, sunum uzayacak.”
“Eğer kısa bir özet yapılmazsa/sunulmazsa, sunum uzayacak.” Colloquially, you may also hear “Kısa bir özet olmazsa, sunum uzayacak,” which is acceptable in speech.