Verbal Aspect (introduction). Meaning of Aspect. Aspect and Tense. Future Tense: Imperfective and Pe

1.The Meaning of Aspect

In addition to three tenses, Russian verbs have two aspects: imperfective and perfective.
In a Russian dictionary almost every verb listing shows both perfective and imperfective stems, with the imperfective verb listed first. For example: читать (imperf.) - прочитать (perf.).
The majority of the verbs you have encountered up to this lesson have been imperfective.

Imperfective aspect is used for: 

•  repeated or habitual actions (in the present, past and future)

• a single action in progress and therefore incomplete (in the present) 

•  actions which do not emphasize the result (in the past and future)

    Perfective aspect is used for:  

•  a single, completed action in the past

•  intention to complete an action in the future 

  2.Aspect and Tense  Using an imperfective verb you can form the Present tense, the Past tense and the Future tense.
A perfective action is possible only in the Past or Future, because the idea of completion is incompatible with the Russian conception of present tense. Study the chart below: 

  3.Future Tense: Imperfective and Perfective Future There are two types of future tense in Russian: Imperfective Future and Perfective Future.

Imperfective Future requires the appropriate form of the verb быть "to be" agreeing with the subject followed by the imperfective infinitive. The Imperfective Future forms of verbs are used for 

• repeated or habitual actions in the future: Летом я буду работать каждый день - In the summer I will work every day;
• actions in the future which do not emphasize the result: Завтра я буду читать, смотреть телевизор и отдыхать - Tomorrow I will read, watch TV and relax.

Perfective Future is formed from the perfective infinitive (for example: прочитать - to have read). The endings are identical to those of the Present tense forms. The Perfective Future forms of verbs are used to express:

• intention to complete an action in the future: Я прочитаю эту книгу завтра - I will have read this book tomorrow

Compare the forms of both Imperfective and Perfective Future. Memorize them.

Note

Be careful: do not confuse the following forms:

• Present tense (only imperfective): я читаю - I am reading/ I read;
• Future Perfective: я прочитаю - I will have read;
• Future Imperfective: я буду читать - I will read/ will be reading.

• To figure out if a verb is in the Present tense or Imperfective Future tense, you have to learn both Imperfective and Perfective infinitives for all Russian verbs. Dictionaries always show both perfective and imperfective infinitives with the imperfective verb listed first: читать (imperf.) - прочитать (perf.).

4.The contextual clues   Adverbs like обычно, часто, редко, всегда, иногда (usually, often, rare, always, sometimes) and time expressions like каждый день, каждый год, каждую неделю (every day, every year, every week) indicate repetition and therefore require an imperfective verb. 

    The word уже (already) indicates completion and therefore requires a perfective verb. 

  5.Aspectual Pairs. Formation 

From now on you will learn verbs in aspectual pairs. Often aspectual pairs look very similar. 

The perfective aspect  is usually formed form the imperfective either by prefixation or by suffixation. Examine the following pairs. Memorize them:

 1. The perfective aspect  is formed form the imperfective by prefixation. This does not effect conjugation type. 

   2. The perfective aspect  is formed form the imperfective by suffixation with the possible mutation of final root consonant or truncation of prefix. Conjugation type changes. Note the pairing a 1st conjugation verb (imperfective) with a 2nd conjugation verb (perfective). 

   3. Some verbs have different roots or different stems for im perfective and perfective aspects. Examples: 

   Reading   Чтение 

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