Breakdown of Следователю удалось тщательно проверить именно эти улики.
этот
this [f: эта, n: это]
проверить
to check (perfective)
именно
exactly, precisely
следователь
the investigator
удаться
to manage / to succeed (perfective)
улика
clue
тщательно
thoroughly
Questions & Answers about Следователю удалось тщательно проверить именно эти улики.
Why use именно here, and could we substitute it with как раз?
именно is used to single out a specific item, meaning exactly or specifically. It shows the investigator checked эти улики (these clues) and not others. You would not use как раз here because как раз usually implies a coincidence in time or situation, meaning just right or as it happens, rather than identifying a specific object.
Why is именно placed right before эти улики? Can it move around?
The particle именно must go directly before the word or phrase it emphasizes. Here it stresses that these specific clues were checked. If you moved it before тщательно (thoroughly), the sentence would mean the investigator managed to check the clues specifically in a thorough manner, shifting the focus away from which clues were checked.
Why is the word for investigator (Следователю) in the dative case instead of the nominative?
The verb удаться (to manage / to succeed) always requires an impersonal structure. The person who succeeds is the indirect receiver of the success, so they take the dative case. The literal translation is closer to 'It was successful to the investigator.'
Why does this sentence use the perfective verb проверить instead of the imperfective проверять?
проверить is perfective because it highlights a successfully completed result. The verb удалось (managed to) naturally pairs with a perfective infinitive here because managing to do something implies the action was brought to its final conclusion.
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