The purpose of the article is to reveal the potential of cognitive grammar for English learning. The author shows how the
reliance on the key concept of 'observational window' and the differentiation of two opposite strategies of human cognition –
direct (“I SEE”) and indirect (“I KNOW”) – facilitates acquisition of the aspectual-temporal system of the English verb. By the
cognitive analysis of the meaning of the indefinite verbal aspect, the author proves that the key to successful foreign language
communication is students' awareness of the meaning that English speakers keep in mind at the moment of speech production,
when the 'observational window' is closed. The results of the work can be used in the practice of teaching and learning English
in secondary schools and higher educational institutions, in advanced training courses.