Breakdown of Как раз в это время подозреваемый был на допросе.
этот
this [f: эта, n: это]
на
on, at / by (transport) / to (a place) / to (in answer to)
время
time
быть
to be
в
on / during (a time period)
подозреваемый
suspect
как раз
just / exactly
допрос
interrogation
Questions & Answers about Как раз в это время подозреваемый был на допросе.
Could we use именно instead of как раз in this sentence?
You could say Именно в это время... (Exactly at this time...), but как раз is a better fit here. The particle как раз emphasizes a coincidence or a timely occurrence ("just at that very moment"), which is perfect for a detective context where overlapping timelines are important. Именно is more about singling something out from other options ("this specific time, and no other time").
Why does the noun подозреваемый (the suspect) have an adjective ending?
It is actually a participle (a verb acting as an adjective) that has permanently turned into a noun. It literally means "the one being suspected" (from the verb подозревать). Because it is built from an adjective-like form, it declines exactly like an adjective across all cases.
Why do we use the preposition на in на допросе rather than в?
We use на because an interrogation (допрос) is considered an abstract event or a process, rather than a physical enclosed room. Just like you would say на концерте (at a concert) or на уроке (at a lesson), you use на followed by the Prepositional case when someone is attending an interrogation.
What case is в это время, and why?
It is in the Accusative case. Although Russian often uses the Prepositional case for longer time periods (like months or years), pointing to a specific moment using the word время takes в + Accusative. Since время is a neuter noun, its Accusative form happens to look identical to its Nominative form.
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