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Reference.org
Imperfective aspect
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<p>The imperfective (<a href="/facts/List_of_glossing_abbreviations/6IN8Pt68">abbreviated</a> NPFV, IPFV, or more ambiguously IMPV) is a <a href="/facts/Grammatical_aspect/zX9gFXn9">grammatical aspect</a> used to describe ongoing, habitual, repeated, or similar <a href="/facts/Semantics/1L4WwLAP">semantic</a> roles, whether that situation occurs in the past, present, or future. Although many languages have a general imperfective, others have distinct aspects for one or more of its various roles, such as <a href="/facts/Progressive_aspect/Gu6LfpD3">progressive</a>, <a href="/facts/Habitual_aspect/KKwtAnW4">habitual</a>, and <a href="/facts/Iterative_aspect/omhUXoFT">iterative aspects</a>. The imperfective contrasts with the <a href="/facts/Perfective_aspect/Me4egTFk">perfective aspect</a>, which is used to describe actions viewed as a complete whole. </p>