Breakdown of Она часто улыбалась во время выступления.
она
she / it (for a feminine noun)
часто
often
улыбаться
to smile
во время
during
выступление
performance (public appearance, speech)
Questions & Answers about Она часто улыбалась во время выступления.
Why does во время consist of two words, and what case follows it?
Во время literally translates to "in the time of", which is why it is written as two separate words. It functions as a single preposition meaning "during" and always requires the Genitive case. That is why the following noun takes the Genitive form выступления.
What is the base form of выступления, and how did it get that ending?
The dictionary form is выступление (a neuter noun meaning performance or speech). Because it follows во время, it must be in the Genitive case. Neuter nouns ending in -е change their last letter to -я in the Genitive singular.
Why use the imperfective verb улыбалась instead of the perfective улыбнулась?
The adverb часто (often) is the main clue here. Because smiling was a repeated, habitual action in the past rather than a single, completed event, we must use the imperfective aspect.
Why does the verb end in -сь instead of the usual reflexive -ся?
Reflexive verbs change their ending depending on the letter right before it. After a vowel, you use -сь (like in the feminine past tense улыбалась). After a consonant, you use -ся (like in the masculine past tense улыбался).
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