Question 1

Can I use потому что instead of так как in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Yes, they both mean "because" or "since." However, так как is often translated as "since" or "as" and is slightly more formal. We use так как when the reason might already be known to the listener, or to sound a bit more logical and structured. You can also start a sentence with так как (Since the discussion is continuing...), whereas starting a sentence with потому что is generally avoided in Russian.

Question 2

Is the adjective спорный related to the noun спор?

Accepted Answer

Exactly! Спор means "argument," "dispute," or "debate." By adding the adjective suffix -н- and the masculine ending -ый to match the masculine noun вопрос, we get спорный, which means "controversial," "debatable," or "disputed."

Question 3

Does вопрос just mean a literal question ending with a question mark?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily. Just like the English word "question," вопрос can also mean "issue," "matter," or "problem." In the phrase спорный вопрос, it usually translates to "a controversial issue" or "a matter of debate."

Question 4

Why does продолжается have the reflexive -ся ending?

Accepted Answer

The ending -ся makes the verb intransitive, meaning it doesn't take a direct object. Here, the discussion is continuing on its own. If you used the non-reflexive verb продолжает, you would need to specify who is continuing what (for example, "The committee continues the discussion" would be Комитет продолжает дискуссию).

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