248 Ukrainian: A Comprehensive Grammar 6.4.3.4 Use of the verbs of motion The verbs of motion were listed in 6.2.7. The most important factor to bear in mind is that both indeterminate and determinate verbs of motion are imper- fective: i.e. they can express action in all three tenses. The perfectives act as pure perfectives, with two overt tenses, past and future. A small portion of the table given earlier bears repeating: Imperfective Indeterminate ходити їздити носити літати 6.4.3.4.1 Determinate іти їхати нести летіти Indeterminates Perfective піти поїхати понести полетіти Meaning to go (by foot) to go (by vehicle) to carry (by foot) to fly Indeterminate verbs of motion indicate: (1) habitual action, (2) round trip (return) action, (3) the action in general, and (4) the natural ability to carry out the action: (1) Він кожного дня ходить до школи. Every day he goes (walks) to school. Кожної осені птахи літають на південь. Every autumn birds fly (to the) south. (2) Учора вранці Петро їздив до Києва. Yesterday morning Petro went (by vehicle) to Kyiv (and returned: he's back). Учора ввечері я ходила до театру. Last night I went to the theatre (and returned: I'm telling you about it now). (3) Настала весна. Подивися: птахи співають, риби плавають в озері. Spring has come. Look: the birds are singing, the fish are swimming in the lake. (4) Йому тільки один рік, а він вже ходить. He's only one year old, and he's already walking. Note that the strict division between motion 'on foot' and 'by vehicle' is lost in some contexts, particularly when speaking of going to the theatre, cinema, or the like; although one probably used some mode of transport to get to one's destination, the verb ходити is preferred. 6.4.3.4.2 Determinates Determinate verbs indicate that an action was, is, or will be in progress, implying that another action takes place at some point during the motion; in
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