2.1.7.5: Struttura - Imperfetto vs. passato prossimo

Studiamo !

It is time to practice combining the passato prossimo with the imperfetto. This will allow us to tell stories that take place in the past.

(a) On the one hand, the imperfetto will helps us describe:

(i) actions we used to do or did regularly:

Ogni anno, andavamo dai miei nonni a Venezia. (Every year, we used to go to my granfather's house in Venice.)

(ii) states of being and feelings from the past (which are usually ongoing; not one-time events):

Quando avevo 14, mi piaceva fare break-dancing. (When I was 14, I really loved break-dancing.)

(iii) actions that set the scene or are in the background. We usually describe when and where things happened with the imperfect.

Erano le 10 di sera et faceva freddp.... (It was 10 at night and it was cold...)

(b) On the other hand, the passato prossimo will allow us to present actions that occurred as single events that were completed at a certain time in the past.

Il weekend scorso, sono andata  Los Angeles. Ho incontrato il mio amico Pat e gli ho parlato . (Last weekend I went to Los Angeles. I met up with my friend Pat and I talked to him.)

In other words, the imperfect tells us what used to happen and how things were in general. The passato prossimo tells us what happened. The combination of these two past tenses gives us the ability to tells stories about the past - whether it's last weekend or 10 years ago.

(c) Contextual clues will help you decide whether or not the imperfetto or the passato prossimo  are required when talking about the past. Here are some examples:

Mentre is used for activities that were happening simultaneously:

Mentre studiavamo in camera, i nostri genitori parlavano in sala.  

(d) Here’s a summary of the differences between the imperfetto and the passato prossimo:

In pratica !