In Russian, verbs can be divided into two groups: perfective and imperfective. It’s important for intermediate learners to understand how these groups work, especially in questions and negative sentences.

1. Aspectual Pairs
Aspectual pairs are verbs that come in both perfective and imperfective forms. Here are a few examples:

• Смотреть (imperfective) - to watch
• Посмотреть (perfective) - to watch (just one time or finished)

2. Using Them in Questions
When you ask questions, the aspect can change the meaning a lot:

• Ты смотришь фильм? (Are you watching the movie?) - This uses the imperfective form, meaning it’s happening right now.
• Ты посмотрел фильм? (Did you watch the movie?) - This uses the perfective form, meaning it’s done.

3. Using Them in Negations
In negative sentences, the choice of aspect changes what you mean:

• Я не смотрю телевизор. (I am not watching TV.) - This means you’re not watching right now.
• Я не посмотрел телевизор. (I did not watch TV.) - This means you didn’t finish watching it.

4. Summary

• Use the imperfective form for actions that are happening now or happen regularly in questions and negatives.
• Use the perfective form for actions that are completed, focusing on the result.

Try making sentences with these forms to improve your skills for speaking!