Breakdown of Он не использовал очевидный аргумент.
не
not
он
he / it (for a masculine noun) / it (for a neuter noun)
использовать
to use (+ accusative)
очевидный
obvious
Questions & Answers about Он не использовал очевидный аргумент.
Since there is a negative не, shouldn't the direct object очевидный аргумент be in the Genitive case?
You can definitely use the Genitive of negation here (не использовал очевидного аргумента). However, modern Russian often prefers the Accusative case—which is used here—when the negated object is specific, concrete, and clearly identifiable (like "the obvious argument"). The Genitive is more strictly required when denying the existence of something entirely or when the object is abstract.
Is the verb использовал perfective or imperfective?
The verb использовать (to use) is one of the rare Russian verbs that is bi-aspectual, meaning it can function as either perfective or imperfective depending on the context! Here, because it refers to a specific, single action that someone failed to complete on a particular occasion, it acts as a perfective verb.
Why does the verb keep the -ова- part in использовал?
Verbs ending in -овать drop the -ова- and replace it with -у- in the present or future tense (for example, "I use" is я использую). However, in the past tense, the infinitive stem remains intact, so the -ова- stays right before the past tense -л ending.
What is the literal meaning behind the adjective очевидный?