Questions & Answers about Я подготовил всё вовремя и теперь могу отдохнуть.
Why is всё spelled with ё and why is it neuter singular instead of plural?
всё is the neuter singular form of the pronoun meaning “everything.” In Russian, abstract or totalizing pronouns like “all” or “everything” are usually neuter singular. The letter ё reflects the correct pronunciation /vsʲo/, whereas writing е would suggest /vsʲe/. In many modern texts the dieresis over ё is omitted, but learners should remember to pronounce it as ё.
What’s the difference between the adverb вовремя (one word) and the prepositional phrase во время (two words)?
вовремя (one word) is an adverb meaning “on time” or “punctually.”
Example: Он пришёл вовремя. – “He arrived on time.”
во время (two words) is a prepositional phrase meaning “during” or “in the course of.”
Example: во время экзамена – “during the exam.”
Why is подготовил in the past tense of a perfective verb, and how is that different from an imperfective?
подготовил is the past tense of the perfective verb подготовить, which signals that the action of preparing is completed. If you said подготавливал, you’d be using the imperfective aspect, implying an ongoing, habitual or uncompleted process (e.g. “I was preparing” or “I used to prepare”). Here, because you want to express “I finished preparing,” the perfective подготовил is appropriate.