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Questions & Answers about Магазин напротив школы.
Why is there no Russian word for "is" in this sentence?
In Russian, the present tense of the verb "to be" (am, is, are) is almost always left out. You simply put the subject (Магазин) and its location (напротив школы) right next to each other.
Why does the word for school change to школы instead of its dictionary form школа?
The word напротив (opposite) is a preposition that always requires the noun following it to be in the Genitive case. For feminine nouns ending in -а like школа, the ending changes to -ы in the Genitive case, making it школы.
Could I change the word order and say Напротив школы магазин?
Yes, but it changes the focus of the sentence. Магазин напротив школы puts the focus on the location, answering "Where is the shop?". If you say Напротив школы магазин, the focus shifts to the shop, answering "What is opposite the school?"