ABSTRACT
The Ukrainian verbal system is, in general terms, very similar to that which is found in the other East Slavonic languages (Russian and Belarusian) as well as in West Slavonic (Polish, Czech, Slovak, and Upper and Lower Sorbian). This system is driven by the existence of 'aspectual' distinctions, which reflect the nature of the action expressed by the verb (see 6.1); the tense system is loosely dependent on the aspect of the verb (6.1). Although this may at first seem to be complex, it does in fact mean that the number of tenses is strictly limited in comparison with such languages as French, Spanish, German, and even English. The verb is fully conjugated in the present tense ('non-past', see 6.1, 6.3.1.1, 6.3.1.2), such that a complete paradigm exists expressing person (T, 'you', and so on) and number ('singular', 'plural'); the past is comparatively minimalist, expressing only number and gender in the singular and number in the plural (6.3.2). Following a presentation of aspect (6.2) and the verbal paradigms (6.3), 6.4 examines the use of the verb (including aspect, verbs requiring particular cases, and such notions as the 'conditional' or 'mood', and so on); 6.5 describes the system of verbal derivation.
