Learn Russian: Прекратите шуметь, пожалуйста.

This relates directly to our current lesson! Verbs that indicate the start, continuation, or end of an action (often called phase verbs) must always be followed by an imperfective infinitive. Even though the command to stop is a single, complete action, the noise-making is an ongoing process that is being cut off.

The lesson talks about заканчивать / закончить to mean "finish". Why use прекратите here?

The verb закончить means "to finish" an action that has a natural end or goal, like reading a book or working on a project. Прекратить means "to stop" or "to cease" an action abruptly. It is usually used for something annoying, unwanted, or harmful, like making noise, arguing, or crying.

Why is the command прекратите in the perfective aspect instead of the imperfective?

You want the noise to stop immediately and completely as a one-time result. When giving a specific, definitive command to achieve a complete result right now, Russian typically uses the perfective imperative.

Is the verb шуметь related to a noun?

Yes! It is built directly from the noun шум, which means noise. By adding the verb ending, it becomes шуметь (to make noise). Recognizing these noun-to-verb patterns will help you guess the meanings of many new words at this level.