Pragmatics
Imperfective Perfective
  • Duration: долго, не долго, два часа
  • Frequency: всегда, часто, иногда, редко, никогда не
  • -ing
  • “used to”
  • in progress
  • Sequence of completed events where each ends and the next begins
  • Single event and the result is important.
Abstract
Imperfective Perfective
by default

+ single time action
+ completed action
+ result relevant to point in narrative

If all three of those conditions are true simultaneously, then use a perfective verb. Otherwise use the imperfective.

Note: The formulation of the abstract approach comes from “Russian Stage One: Live From Russia: Volume 1.”