views the street parade from a helicopter, he sees the whole parade from a distance. He can describe the parade in a general way because he sees the whole thing rather than seeing its details up close. This viewpoint, from the helicopter, represents what we call perfective aspect. It is the view from the outside—the external viewpoint. If, however, that same reporter views the same street parade from the level of the street rather than from a helicopter, his view of the parade is quite different.