Breakdown of Директор настаивает на том, что это важная особенность проекта.
это
this / it is
на
on, at / by (transport) / to (a place) / to (in answer to)
важный
important
директор
director
что
that (conjunction)
проект
the project
тот
that
особенность
feature
настаивать
to insist
Questions & Answers about Директор настаивает на том, что это важная особенность проекта.
Why do we need на том before что? Can we just say настаивает что?
In Russian, many verbs require a specific preposition. The verb настаивать (to insist) requires на + Prepositional case. However, prepositions cannot attach directly to a что (that) clause. Instead, we use a pointer word (то) in the required case. So, настаивать на becomes настаивать на том, что (literally 'to insist on that, that').
Where is the verb for 'is' in the second part of the sentence (это важная особенность)?
In the present tense, Russian almost always omits the verb 'to be' (is/are/am). The word это acts as 'this is', and it is directly followed by the noun phrase важная особенность (an important feature) in the Nominative case.
Why is the adjective важная in the feminine form? How do we know особенность is feminine?
Особенность (feature or peculiarity) is a feminine noun. As a very helpful rule of thumb, almost all abstract Russian nouns ending in -ость are feminine. Because the noun is feminine, the adjective describing it must also take the feminine ending, becoming важная.
Why is the word проект written here as проекта?
Проекта is in the Genitive case because it shows a relationship or possession, translating to 'of the project' in English. When one noun is a feature or part of another noun, the second noun takes the Genitive case.
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