Copula constructions in russian: when to use and when not to use the eto particle?

когда использовать, а когда не использовать частицу это?

Abstract

In this paper copula sentences in Russian and the variation in their use are analyzed. In some cases, the pronominal particle eto is used, what some scholars characterize as exclusive for equative sentences, in other cases, the copula relation is expressed by the simple juxtaposition of phrases in a string, what is generally considered as a property of attributive sentences. This research focuses on the linguistic knowledge of native speakers of Russian an seeks to identify which contexts allow the use of particle éto. Thus, an experiment called acceptability judgment was developed in which Russian native speakers living in the city of Moscow evaluated copulative sentences with and without the element éto. Preliminary results show that the use of strategies adopted by native speakers to mark copula display gradient behavior. However, despite the fact that éto does not behave categorically, the systematization of its contexts of use is still possible.