Breakdown of Основная характеристика представляет собой важное свойство процесса.
важный
important
себя
oneself (себе: Dat/Prep)
процесс
process
основной
main, basic
Questions & Answers about Основная характеристика представляет собой важное свойство процесса.
Why do we use представляет собой in this sentence instead of just using a dash and это?
The phrase представляет собой is a formal, academic way to define something, meaning 'is' or 'represents.' While you could use a dash and это in everyday speech, professional, technical, or scientific texts like this one require this more elevated predicate.
Does the phrase представлять собой always take the Accusative case, even though важное свойство looks like the Nominative?
Yes, it always requires the Accusative case for the thing being defined. Because свойство (property) is a neuter inanimate noun, its Accusative form важное свойство perfectly matches its Nominative form. Even so, it functions grammatically as the direct object of the verb представляет.
Why does the verb use the Instrumental reflexive pronoun собой here?
The fixed expression is представлять собой, which translates literally as 'to present by means of itself.' The pronoun собой always reflects back to the subject of the sentence. Here, it refers back to the feminine subject характеристика, but because it is a reflexive pronoun, its form does not change to match the subject's gender.
How do the words характеристика and свойство differ in meaning here?