Passato prossimo vs imperfetto
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Flip to reveal answersWhich past tense for a single completed action?
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All 14 Flashcards — Passato prossimo vs imperfetto
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Question
Which past tense for a single completed action?
Answer
Il passato prossimo — «ho mangiato», «è arrivato».
Question
Which past tense for background, habit or an ongoing action?
Answer
L'imperfetto — «mangiavo», «era», «facevo».
Question
How do you tell a habit in the past? (e.g. «as a child I used to play»)
Answer
Imperfetto: «Da bambino giocavo sempre in giardino.»
Question
How do you tell one finished event? (e.g. «yesterday I bought a book»)
Answer
Passato prossimo: «Ieri ho comprato un libro.»
Question
«Mentre ___ , ha suonato il telefono.» Which tense in the gap?
Answer
Imperfetto — «Mentre studiavo, ha suonato il telefono» (scene + interruption).
Question
Name two signal words that lean towards the imperfetto.
Answer
sempre, di solito, ogni giorno, spesso, mentre, da bambino/a.
Question
Name two signal words that lean towards the passato prossimo.
Answer
ieri, l'anno scorso, un giorno, all'improvviso, poi, alle otto.
Question
essere in the past — passato prossimo vs imperfetto?
Answer
Passato prossimo «è stato/a» (a completed whole); imperfetto «era» (a description).
Question
«Faceva freddo, così ___ (uscire, noi) lo stesso.» Tense of the second verb?
Answer
Passato prossimo — «siamo usciti»: the scene is imperfetto, the event passato prossimo.
Question
What is the typical error with a habit?
Answer
Telling it with the passato prossimo («ho giocato sempre») instead of the imperfetto («giocavo sempre»).
Question
What is the typical error with a single event?
Answer
Telling it with the imperfetto («ieri mangiavo») instead of the passato prossimo («ieri ho mangiato»).
Question
In a story, which tense sets the scene and which drives the plot?
Answer
Imperfetto sets the scene / background; passato prossimo drives the plot / the events.
Question
c'era / c'erano — which tense and why?
Answer
Imperfetto — «c'era / c'erano» describes the situation (there was / there were), part of the background.
Question
Translate keeping both tenses: «It was raining and I stayed at home.»
Answer
«Pioveva e sono rimasto/a a casa.» — scene imperfetto + event passato prossimo.
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Full study notes for Passato prossimo vs imperfetto
Topic 3.2 hub
Past & future tenses
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Italian B exam skills
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