Italian verbs and time frames
Choose Italian verb forms to show who acts, when it happens and whether an event is completed, ongoing or hypothetical.
Section LANG-VERBS · Italian verbs and time frames
Exam scope and assessment notes
All Italian passages, prompts, model answers, listening scripts and tasks are original StudyForA material, not Cambridge assessment content. Cambridge's separate 2028 vocabulary spreadsheet is linked through its subject page but has not been reconciled word by word. Grammar groups need item-by-item specialist checking, and an Italian-language teacher should review the original Italian before publication is described as complete. Browser speech synthesis is not Cambridge audio and cannot guarantee a regional accent, natural pace or pronunciation. Speaking is rehearsal and self-review, not a centre assessment or examiner mark; writing answers are self-checked, not Cambridge-marked. No complete timed specimen or 130-hour course is included. Confirm your exam year, entry option and centre availability with Cambridge and your school. Use the 2025–2027 or 2028–2030 paper lesson that matches your exam year. Cambridge lists 7164 as available in a limited number of administrative zones; for June, the published notice names zone 3 and centres in Oman and UAE. Confirm the applicable series and entry with your centre.
Before you begin
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
Choose the sentence meaning ‘I like the books.’
What you will learn
- Use regular, irregular and reflexive verbs in familiar situations.
- Distinguish essere, avere, stare, piacere and impersonal si constructions.
- Choose present, passato prossimo, imperfetto and trapassato by meaning.
- Recognise future, conditional, imperative and common subjunctive patterns.
Build a timeline before choosing a tense
Present: «studio»; present continuous: «sto studiando». Passato prossimo: «ieri ho visitato Roma» reports a completed event; imperfetto can describe a past habit or scene («da bambino visitavo spesso Roma»). Trapassato («avevo già finito») marks an event earlier than another past event.
Choose the auxiliary for the verb: many verbs use «avere», movement/change verbs often use «essere», and reflexive verbs take «essere» in the passato prossimo with agreement («mi sono alzata/o»). These patterns have exceptions; check a reliable Italian reference when unsure.
Match the form to its function
«Stare per» and the present can express an immediate plan; the future states a later action; the conditional expresses a request or hypothetical result. Imperatives change with «tu», «voi» and polite «Lei».
The syllabus also includes present subjunctive in common forms, conditional combinations, «se» clauses, gerund, passive forms and perfect infinitive; some are marked R in the list. These groups need item-by-item specialist verification. «Piacere» agrees with what is liked («mi piace il film / mi piacciono i film»).
Sources for this lesson
- Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) Italian 7164 subject page
- Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) Italian 7164 syllabus for exams in 2025–2027
- Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) Italian 7164 syllabus update for 2025–2027
- Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) Italian 7164 syllabus for exams in 2028–2030
- Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) Italian 7164 2028 vocabulary list
Pause and explain
Which form best completes «Da bambina, ___ ogni estate al mare»?
Worked example
Complete the timeline: «Quando ero piccolo/a, ___ (abitare) a Torino. Ieri ___ (visitare) il museo; oggi ___ (essere) stanco/a e domani ___ (studiare).»
Show the worked solution
- Use imperfetto for the past background.
- Use passato prossimo for yesterday's completed visit.
- Use present for today's state and future or immediate-plan wording for tomorrow.
Answer One correct version is «Quando ero piccolo/a, abitavo a Torino. Ieri ho visitato il museo; oggi sono stanco/a e domani studierò.» The forms match the timeline; context determines the best future expression.
From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
Write three Italian sentences about a past habit, one completed event and a plan for tomorrow.
Give me a hint
Use imperfetto, passato prossimo and a future form.
Compare my reasoning
- Set a repeated past routine.
- Name one completed event with a past time.
- State tomorrow's plan.
Example: «Quando vivevo vicino al mare, camminavo sulla spiaggia. Sabato scorso ho visitato mia nonna. Domani studierò italiano.»
Look for these in your work
- Uses imperfetto for a habit
- Uses passato prossimo for the completed event
- Uses a future form
Correct the meaning and form: «Mi piacciono la musica. Ieri sono studiato a casa.»
Give me a hint
Check whether the liked noun is singular and which auxiliary «studiare» uses.
Compare my reasoning
- Match «piacere» to singular «la musica».
- Use the correct auxiliary with «studiare».
- Keep yesterday's time frame.
«Mi piace la musica. Ieri ho studiato a casa.» «Musica» is singular; «studiare» takes «avere» in this example.
Look for these in your work
- Corrects «piacere»
- Chooses avere
- Keeps the past time
A friend asks what you would do if a train were cancelled. Answer in Italian with a conditional, an alternative and something you still need to check.
Give me a hint
Use a hypothetical «se» clause and qualify uncertainty.
Compare my reasoning
- State the condition.
- Give a practical alternative.
- Say what information you would confirm.
Example: «Se cancellassero il treno, prenderei l'autobus. Chiamerei la stazione per controllare l'orario, perché forse c'è un altro collegamento.» This is a possible plan, not a prediction.
Look for these in your work
- Uses a hypothetical condition
- Gives an alternative
- Signals what remains uncertain
Common mistakes
- Using passato prossimo for every past meaning
- Choosing essere/avere without checking the verb
- Making «piacere» agree with the person instead of the liked item
- Treating a conditional plan as certain
What can you explain now?
Which tense fits a repeated childhood habit: «abitavo» or «ho abitato»?
Compare with the explanation
«Abitavo»
The imperfetto describes a past background or habit.
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