Practical Exercises and Drills: Verb Aspect

Understanding and using Imperfective and Perfective verb aspects in Russian requires consistent practice. These exercises will help you identify, conjugate, and use verb aspects correctly in different contexts.
1. Quick Review of Verb Aspects
Aspect | Purpose |
---|---|
Imperfective | Describes ongoing, habitual, or repeated actions, without focusing on completion. |
Perfective | Describes a completed action or a single occurrence, emphasizing the result. |
2. Aspect Identification Exercise
Identify whether the verb is Imperfective or Perfective in each sentence.
- Я писал письмо весь вечер. (I was writing a letter all evening.)
- Она прочитала книгу за один день. (She read the book in one day.)
- Мы будем готовить ужин завтра. (We will cook dinner tomorrow.)
- Я посмотрел фильм вчера вечером. (I watched the movie last night.)
- Он часто читал газеты утром. (He often read newspapers in the morning.)
Answers:
- Imperfective
- Perfective
- Imperfective
- Perfective
- Imperfective
3. Fill-in-the-Blank Exercise: Choose the Correct Aspect
Choose the correct verb form (Imperfective or Perfective) to complete each sentence.
- Я (писал/написал) письмо вчера вечером. (I wrote a letter last night.)
- Мы (будем гулять/погуляем) в парке завтра. (We will walk in the park tomorrow.)
- Он уже (закрывал/закрыл) дверь. (He has already closed the door.)
- Она часто (смотрела/посмотрела) телевизор после работы. (She often watched TV after work.)
- Мы (читали/прочитали) книгу до конца. (We read the book to the end.)
Answers:
- написал
- будем гулять
- закрыл
- смотрела
- прочитали
4. Transform the Aspect
Rewrite the sentence by changing the verb’s aspect. Pay attention to the meaning change.
- Я пишу письмо. (I am writing a letter.) →
- Мы смотрим фильм. (We are watching a movie.) →
- Она будет готовить ужин. (She will cook dinner.) →
- Он читал книгу. (He was reading a book.) →
- Они гуляли в парке. (They were walking in the park.) →
Answers:
- Я написал письмо. (I wrote a letter.)
- Мы посмотрели фильм. (We watched the movie.)
- Она приготовит ужин. (She will cook dinner.)
- Он прочитал книгу. (He read the book.)
- Они погуляли в парке. (They walked in the park.)
5. Verb Pairs: Match the Aspects
Match the imperfective verb with its perfective counterpart.
Imperfective | Perfective |
---|---|
читать (to read) | ___________ |
писать (to write) | ___________ |
видеть (to see) | ___________ |
готовить (to cook) | ___________ |
говорить (to speak) | ___________ |
Answers:
- читать → прочитать
- писать → написать
- видеть → увидеть
- готовить → приготовить
- говорить → сказать
6. Translation Exercise
Translate the following sentences into Russian, using the appropriate verb aspect.
- I was reading a book all evening.
- We will finish writing the report tomorrow.
- She cooked dinner yesterday.
- They often went to the park.
- He has already done his homework.
Answers:
- Я читал книгу весь вечер.
- Мы закончим писать отчёт завтра.
- Она приготовила ужин вчера.
- Они часто ходили в парк.
- Он уже сделал свою домашнюю работу.
7. Aspect in Context
Explain the difference in meaning between the two sentences:
- Он читал книгу. (He was reading a book.)
- Он прочитал книгу. (He read the book.)
Explanation:
- Читал (Imperfective): Focuses on the process of reading, without indicating whether the action was completed.
- Прочитал (Perfective): Indicates that the book was completely read, with the action finished.
8. Practice Table: Verb Forms
Conjugate the given verbs in both aspects for the past, present, and future tenses.
Verb | Aspect | Past | Present | Future |
---|---|---|---|---|
читать | Imperfective | читал | читаю | буду читать |
прочитать | Perfective | прочитал | — | прочитаю |
готовить | Imperfective | готовил | готовлю | буду готовить |
приготовить | Perfective | приготовил | — | приготовлю |
9. Free Practice
Create your own sentences using both aspects of the following verbs:
- писать/написать (to write)
- говорить/сказать (to speak)
- готовить/приготовить (to cook)
- смотреть/посмотреть (to watch)
- делать/сделать (to do)
10. Summary Table: Aspect Usage
Aspect | When to Use | Example |
---|---|---|
Imperfective | Ongoing actions, habitual actions, no result. | Я читал книгу весь вечер. (I was reading a book all evening.) |
Perfective | Completed actions, single occurrences. | Я прочитал книгу за один вечер. (I read the book in one evening.) |
By practicing these drills regularly, you’ll develop a solid understanding of Russian verb aspects and their nuances in different contexts.