Breakdown of Как монахи, так и переписчики изучали тексты, написанные в прошлом.
и
and
текст
text
изучать
to study
написать
to write (perfective)
в
on / during (a time period)
так
so, like this
прошлое
past
как
as (in comparisons)
переписчик
copyist
монах
monk
Questions & Answers about Как монахи, так и переписчики изучали тексты, написанные в прошлом.
Why is there a comma before написанные?
The phrase написанные в прошлом is a participial phrase modifying the noun тексты. In Russian, when a participial phrase comes after the noun it describes, it must be separated by a comma. If we flipped the word order to put the phrase before the noun (...изучали написанные в прошлом тексты), the comma would disappear.
Why does написанные have a double н and what determines its ending?
It is a past passive participle formed from the perfective verb написать (to write). Past passive participles formed from perfective verbs take a double -нн-. The ending -ые is plural accusative to agree with the noun it modifies, тексты, which is the direct inanimate object of the verb изучали.
Why does the sentence start with Как if it is not asking a question?
Here, Как is part of the fixed paired conjunction как ..., так и ..., which means "both ... and ..." or "just as ..., so too ...". It connects the monks and the copyists to emphasize that they both equally performed the action.
Why is прошлом in the prepositional case here?
The phrase в прошлом means "in the past" and describes a static point in time, which requires the prepositional case. If you used the accusative case (в прошлое), it would mean "into the past," implying directional movement (like looking or traveling into the past).
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