Breakdown of Бабушка открывала банку, и мы сразу чувствовали аромат варенья.
и
and
мы
we
бабушка
grandmother
открывать
to open (imperfective)
Questions & Answers about Бабушка открывала банку, и мы сразу чувствовали аромат варенья.
Why do we use the imperfective verbs открывала and чувствовали if one action happens after the other?
Normally, a sequence of consecutive actions in the past uses perfective verbs. However, because this sequence happened repeatedly (Grandma would open a jar, and then we would feel the aroma), both verbs must be imperfective. This is the standard rule for a recurring chain of events.
Does the English translation "would open" mean this is a conditional sentence?
No, there is no conditional mood here, which would require the particle бы. In English, "would" often describes habitual past actions. In Russian, this habitual meaning is captured simply by using the past tense of the imperfective verbs.
How does the word сразу fit into this repeated sequence?
The word сразу (immediately) highlights that the second action instantly followed the first. Even though it emphasizes a quick result, we still use the imperfective aspect for both verbs because the entire quick sequence is a repeated habit.
Why is варенье in the genitive case as варенья?
It expresses "of the jam." When one noun modifies another noun to show possession or origin, like the aroma belonging to the jam, the second noun takes the genitive case.