Breakdown of Мы не могли не начать процедуру согласно вашему указанию.
не
not
мы
we
ваш
your [formal/plural] (ваш, ваша, ваше)
мочь
to be able to
начать
to begin (perfective)
согласно
according to
процедура
procedure
указание
instruction
Questions & Answers about Мы не могли не начать процедуру согласно вашему указанию.
Why is вашему указанию in the Dative case?
It is the object of the preposition согласно (according to). As highlighted in this lesson, согласно requires the Dative case to indicate the rule, instruction, or plan that an action complies with.
I sometimes hear native speakers use the Genitive case after согласно. Could I say согласно вашего указания here?
You might hear that in bureaucratic or informal speech, but it is strictly considered a grammatical mistake. Standard literary Russian requires согласно to take only the Dative case.
The translation says "could not help but start". Does не могли не начать literally translate to "could not not start"?
Exactly. This double negative structure (не + conjugated verb + не + infinitive) is very common in Russian for creating a strong affirmative statement. It emphasizes that you had absolutely no other choice but to do it.
Why do we use the perfective verb начать rather than the imperfective начинать here?
The perfective начать highlights a single, concrete result. The instruction demanded that the procedure be initiated, and the focus here is on that specific, successful initiation, rather than the ongoing process of starting it.
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