Breakdown of Холст, с которым художник пошёл в парк, был совершенно пустой.
парк
park
в
in / to (direction)
художник
artist
быть
to be
пустой
empty
с
with (also со)
пойти
to go (perfective, on foot) / to start (of rain, snow)
совершенно
absolutely
который
which / who / that (relative pronoun)
холст
the canvas
Questions & Answers about Холст, с которым художник пошёл в парк, был совершенно пустой.
Why do we use с которым here instead of just который?
The word который must match the gender and number of the noun it replaces, which is the masculine noun холст. However, its case depends on its role in its own part of the sentence. Because the artist went to the park with the canvas, we need the preposition с (with) followed by the Instrumental case. The masculine Instrumental form of который is которым.
Why are there commas around the phrase с которым художник пошёл в парк?
In Russian, you must always place commas around a relative clause (a descriptive phrase starting with a word like который). Unlike in English, where we sometimes leave these commas out, Russian punctuation strictly requires them to separate the extra information from the main sentence.
Why does this sentence use пошёл rather than another verb of motion like шёл or ходил?
пошёл is the perfective verb meaning to set off or depart on foot. The sentence focuses on the single, completed action of the artist leaving for the park with the canvas. If we used шёл, it would mean he was in the process of walking, and ходил would imply he made a round trip or went there regularly.
Why is it в парк (Accusative case) instead of в парке (Prepositional case)?
We use the preposition в with the Accusative case when talking about motion towards a destination (answering the question where to?). If we were describing a location where someone already is (answering the question where at?), we would use в with the Prepositional case.
What do был and пустой agree with at the end of the sentence?
They both agree with the main subject of the sentence, холст (canvas), which is a masculine noun. When you read a sentence with a relative clause in the middle, it helps to mentally remove the part between the commas to see the core sentence clearly: Холст был совершенно пустой.
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