Life in the past
Develop then and now through a focused speaking itinerary.
Speaking task
Show an old school photograph to an Italian friend. Speak for about one minute. Say where you lived, what your school was like, what you usually did after class, and one event you remember from a particular day. Ask your friend how their school or town was different. Use the imperfetto for the background and habits; use passato prossimo for the single event.
- Com’era la tua città quando eri bambino?· What was your city like when you were a child?
- Era più piccola e c’erano meno automobili.· It was smaller and there were fewer cars.
- Che cosa facevi dopo la scuola?· What did you use to do after school?
- Giocavo con i miei amici. Un giorno abbiamo costruito una casa sull’albero.· I played with my friends. One day we built a tree house.
Performance and self-check
Use only five keywords to plan. Speak once, then check that your listener can identify one old habit, one past condition, and one completed event. Repeat without reading. Check the imperfect endings in ero, vivevo, and giocavo, and make the time contrast clear with allora and oggi.
- Da bambino giocavo sempre fuori.· As a child I always played outside.
- Era estate e faceva caldo.· It was summer and it was hot.
- parlavo, prendevo, dormivo· I used to speak, take, sleep
- Quando ero piccolo, vivevo in campagna.· When I was little, I lived in the countryside.