人類得以定出事件前因後果，緣於語法範疇的時態與現實的時間觀念的相關性，此經常為學界爭論的核心議題。時態反映出行為、狀態與時間層面的語法及／或詞彙方式。同時，這種時間層面事件賦有依據包含過去、現在及未來時間序列的特殊時間點。俄語的時態，正如許多語種，通常反映客觀、真實的時間關係，然而這些客觀的時間關係，由於主觀（或修辭）因素，也常為了加強表達效果，發生錯置情況。有數據顯示，時態與時間的缺乏系統對應關係，時態所賦有的功能本身並非精確、與時間彼此相近或者重疊。
本文運用哥倫比亞語言學派(CSL)符號導向的語言架構，分析俄語的直述語氣時態使用。依據時間意義的恆常性，以說話者及／或書寫者接受評價為基準，說明語法時間與現實時間等同及非等同關係所顯示的意義。

Tense as a category of grammar and its correlation with time as a fundamental concept that enables human beings to sequence events have been the focus of much debate. Tense is considered a grammatical and/or lexical way to reflect the location of actions, states, and events in time. They are assigned to a specific time point according to a time line that includes past, present, and future. In Russian, as in many other languages, tenses often reflect objective real-time relationships. However, this real-time match is often ‘dislocated’ for subjective (expressive) purposes. The data indicate the systematic absence of correlation between tense and time, revealing that the functions, attributed to tenses, are imprecise or overlap. This paper presents an analysis of tense uses in the Russian indicative, based on the Columbia School (CSL) sign-oriented linguistic framework. We address the problem of accounting for both the time-tense matched and mismatched uses in the language by suggesting a one-to-one correspondence between form and function, relating it to speakers’ and/or writers’ ‘here and now’ moment of speaking/writing.