Breakdown of Более того, атмосфера здесь прекрасная, и есть много развлечений.
и
and
здесь
here
много
a lot
есть
is, there is, to have
Questions & Answers about Более того, атмосфера здесь прекрасная, и есть много развлечений.
How does Более того translate literally, and why is того in the genitive case?
Literally, it means "more of that." Более is the comparative form "more," and in Russian, comparatives can be followed directly by the genitive case to mean "than" (literally: more than that). Together, it forms a fixed phrase meaning "moreover" or "furthermore."
Since this lesson is about topic-shifting phrases like Что касается..., can I use Более того to bring up a new subject?
No, более того does the exact opposite! While что касается (as for...) pivots to a new topic, более того (moreover) doubles down on the current topic by adding a stronger, supporting point. You will often see it used right after a что касается sentence to build up a persuasive argument.
Why is there an explicit есть in the second half of the sentence, but no verb for "is" in атмосфера здесь прекрасная?
In Russian, the present tense of "to be" is omitted when you are simply linking a subject to a description (The atmosphere = great). However, when you want to state the existence or availability of something (like the English "there is/are"), you must use the word есть.
What is the dictionary form of развлечений, and why does it end in just -й here?