Word
Этот текст простой, поэтому я выбираю его, но Иван решает читать трудный роман.
Meaning
This text is simple, so I am choosing it, but Ivan decides to read a difficult novel.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Этот текст простой, поэтому я выбираю его, но Иван решает читать трудный роман.
я
I
текст
text
этот
this [f: эта, n: это]
читать
to read
Questions & Answers about Этот текст простой, поэтому я выбираю его, но Иван решает читать трудный роман.
Why does the sentence use поэтому instead of потому что?
Both words connect causes and effects, but they go in different directions. потому что means 'because' (giving the reason), while поэтому means 'so' or 'therefore' (giving the result). Since the text being simple is the reason, and choosing it is the result, we use поэтому to say 'so I am choosing it.'
Why is the word его used to mean 'it'? Doesn't его usually mean 'him'?
Yes, его is the accusative (direct object) form of он (he). In Russian, nouns have gender. Since the word текст (text) is a masculine noun, we refer to it using the masculine pronoun он. When 'it' (the text) becomes the direct object being chosen by the subject, он changes to его.
Why is читать in its dictionary form instead of conjugated like the other verbs?
When you have two verbs together where one completes the action of the other, only the first verb changes to match the subject. Here, Ivan is the subject doing the deciding, so решает (decides) is conjugated. The second action, читать (to read), stays in the infinitive form, just like in the English 'decides to read'.
Why don't трудный and роман change their endings, since they are the direct object Ivan is reading?