<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:epub="http://www.idpf.org/2007/ops" xmlns:m="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:pls="http://www.w3.org/2005/01/pronunciation-lexicon" xmlns:ssml="http://www.w3.org/2001/10/synthesis" xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><head><title>Chapter 1. Introduction</title><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="docbook-epub.css"/><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.79.2"/><link rel="prev" href="pr01.xhtml" title="Conjugation patterns of the verbs of locomotion and conveyance"/><link rel="next" href="ch02.xhtml" title="Chapter 2. Verbs of motion"/></head><body><header/><section class="chapter" title="Chapter 1. Introduction" epub:type="chapter" id="d0e862"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title">Chapter 1. Introduction</h1></div></div></div><p>As you already know, Russian verbs exist in pairs -- imperfective and perfective. In
Russian it is necessary to have at your command both verbs, the imperfective and the
perfective, to express all the possibilities of a <span class="bold"><strong>verbal
idea</strong></span>. The imperfective and the perfective verbs are basically identical in meaning,
but differ in aspect. To express the verbal idea of "writing" in English we need only one verb
"to write". The Russian language has two verbs, the imperfective <span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">писать</em></span> and the perfective <span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">написать</em></span>. Both mean "to write".</p><p>Perfective verbs generally express the notion of completion. For example, the perfective
verb <span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">написать</em></span> "to write" is used in the past
tense below expressing the notion of a completed action. </p><div class="informaltable"><table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border-top: 1px solid ; border-bottom: 1px solid ; border-left: 1px solid ; border-right: 1px solid ; "><colgroup><col class="c1"/><col class="c2"/></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-right: 1px solid ; "><span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">Я написал эту книгу.</em></span></td><td>I wrote this book.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>Imperfective verbs describe an action without reference to its completion. imperfective
verbs are used when expressing a progressive action, repetition, or simply naming the action.
Considering only the past tense of the imperfective verb <span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">писать</em></span> "to write", you might find the following:</p><div class="informaltable"><table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border-top: 1px solid ; border-bottom: 1px solid ; border-left: 1px solid ; border-right: 1px solid ; "><colgroup><col class="c1"/><col class="c2"/></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-right: 1px solid ; border-bottom: 1px solid ; "><span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">Я писал весь день.</em></span></td><td style="border-bottom: 1px solid ; ">I was writing all day. (progressive)</td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align: middle; border-right: 1px solid ; border-bottom: 1px solid ; "><span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">Я писал каждый
день.</em></span></td><td style="border-bottom: 1px solid ; ">
<p>I wrote every day. (repetition) </p>
<p>I would write every day. </p>
<p>I used to write every day.</p>
</td></tr><tr><td style="border-right: 1px solid ; "><span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">Я хорошо писал по-русски.</em></span></td><td>I wrote Russian well. (naming the action)</td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>This opposition between imperfective and perfective verbs is superficially adequate for
most verbs in most contexts.</p><div class="informaltable"><table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border-top: 1px solid ; border-bottom: 1px solid ; border-left: 1px solid ; border-right: 1px solid ; "><colgroup><col class="c1"/><col style="text-align: left; " class="c2"/><col class="c3"/><col class="c4"/></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="vertical-align: middle; border-right: 1px solid ; "><span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">Я писал</em></span></td><td style="text-align: left; border-right: 1px solid ; ">
<p>progressive</p>
<p>repetition</p>
<p>naming the action</p>
</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; border-right: 1px solid ; "><span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">я написал</em></span></td><td style="vertical-align: middle; ">completion</td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>Before we start with the "verbs of motion" translate this sentence into English.</p><p>RUSSIAN: <span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">Я написал это письмо</em></span>.</p><p>ENGLISH:</p><p><span class="bold"><strong>Answer</strong></span>:</p><p>ENGLISH: I wrote this letter. (a completed action)</p><p>That was simple. The perfective verb tells you it is a completed action. </p><p>O.K.:<span class="bold"><strong> translate this one.</strong></span></p><p>RUSSIAN: <span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">Я писал маме.</em></span></p><p>ENGLISH:</p><p><span class="bold"><strong>Answer</strong></span>:</p><p>ENGLISH:</p><div class="itemizedlist" epub:type="list"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; "><li class="listitem" epub:type="list-item"><p>I was writing Mother (when you called),</p></li><li class="listitem" epub:type="list-item"><p>I wrote Mother (every day).</p></li><li class="listitem" epub:type="list-item"><p>I would write to Mother (every morning before school).</p></li></ul></div><p>The three translations above point out the problem with imperfective verbs -- they can be
interpreted in several ways. All you know when you see an imperfective verb is that the
emphasis is <span class="bold"><strong>not</strong></span> on a completed action.</p><p>This is an important point to know about Russian verbs: perfective verbs carry an
intrinsic meaning of completion, while imperfective verbs have no intrinsic meaning. The
problem with imperfective verbs is one of interpretation.</p><p><span class="bold"><strong>Where do you suppose you would look for hints on interpreting the
meaning of an imperfective verb?</strong></span></p><p><span class="bold"><strong>Answer</strong></span>: Look at the rest of the sentence or
paragraph.</p><p>Looking at the rest of the sentence for clues is the normal approach. Since imperfective
verbs may have several meanings (interpretations), it is necessary to know the sentence
context as well as the possible meanings of the imperfective verb. From now on we shall deal
with imperfective verbs only.</p><p><span class="bold"><strong>What are the three basic meanings of the imperfective
verbs?</strong></span></p><div class="orderedlist" epub:type="list"><ol class="orderedlist" type="1"><li class="listitem" epub:type="list-item"><p>_______________________________</p></li><li class="listitem" epub:type="list-item"><p>_______________________________</p></li><li class="listitem" epub:type="list-item"><p>_______________________________</p></li></ol></div><p><span class="bold"><strong>Answer</strong></span>:</p><div class="orderedlist" epub:type="list"><ol class="orderedlist" type="1"><li class="listitem" epub:type="list-item"><p>progressive action</p></li><li class="listitem" epub:type="list-item"><p>repeated action</p></li><li class="listitem" epub:type="list-item"><p>naming the action</p></li></ol></div><p>Now, in the sentences below <span class="bold"><strong>choose the best meaning for the
imperfective verbs</strong></span> according to the context of the sentences; progressive,
repeated, or naming.</p><div class="orderedlist" epub:type="list"><ol class="orderedlist" type="1"><li class="listitem" epub:type="list-item"><p><span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">Я писал отцу три раза.</em></span> I wrote to father
three times.</p></li><li class="listitem" epub:type="list-item"><p><span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">Я читал всё утро.</em></span> I read (was reading)
all morning.</p></li><li class="listitem" epub:type="list-item"><p><span xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase"><em xml:lang="ru" class="foreignphrase">Я говорил по-русски.</em></span> I spoke (used to
speak) Russian.</p></li></ol></div><p><span class="bold"><strong>Answer</strong></span>:</p><div class="orderedlist" epub:type="list"><ol class="orderedlist" type="1"><li class="listitem" epub:type="list-item"><p>repeated action</p></li><li class="listitem" epub:type="list-item"><p>progressive action</p></li><li class="listitem" epub:type="list-item"><p>naming the action</p></li></ol></div><p>The last answer, "naming the action" occasionally gives the student some trouble. This
meaning, of imperfective verbs is used to simply state the verb without reference to any
quality of action or time.</p><p>Below are listed some English sentences that name the verb.</p><div class="orderedlist" epub:type="list"><ol class="orderedlist" type="1"><li class="listitem" epub:type="list-item"><p>I like to play.</p></li><li class="listitem" epub:type="list-item"><p>My dog limps.</p></li><li class="listitem" epub:type="list-item"><p>Most people sneeze.</p></li><li class="listitem" epub:type="list-item"><p>He reads Russian.</p></li><li class="listitem" epub:type="list-item"><p>We eat to live.</p></li></ol></div><p>None of these verbs truly tie themselves to the notions of progression or
repetition.</p></section><footer/></body></html>