University degree
Laurea
- Talk about your university study or goals.
- Know vocabulary about higher education.
- Know the higher education system and institutions of your new country.
- The temporal expressions of the imperfect
Learn how to describe past university experiences using Italian imperfect tense expressions like "studiavo" (I was studying), "facevo" (I was doing), and "pagavo" (I was paying), focusing on common academic activities and routines.
Vocabulary (14) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
La laurea triennale
The bachelor's degree
2
Il tirocinante
The intern
3
Pagare la retta
To pay the tuition
4
Il tirocinio
The internship
5
La laurea magistrale
The master's degree
Esercizio 2: Conversation exercise
Istruzione:
- When did you graduate high school (and university)? (When did you graduate high school (and university)?)
- What internships did you do while studying? (What internships did you do while studying? )
- What are your educational plans? (What are your educational plans?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
|
Mi sono diplomato al liceo nel 2019. Sto ancora studiando all'università ora. I graduated from high school in 2019. I am still studying at university now. |
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Mi sono diplomato al liceo nel 2012 e all'università nel 2016. I graduated high school in 2012 and university in 2016. |
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Ho lavorato in un ufficio per due mesi. Ho imparato a conoscere i computer. I worked in an office for two months. I learned about computers. |
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Ho fatto uno stage estivo in una scuola. Ho aiutato l'insegnante. I did a summer internship at a school. I helped the teacher. |
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Non ho studiato prima, ma ora voglio imparare. Frequenterò corsi serali. I didn’t study before, but now I want to learn. I will take evening classes. |
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Frequenterò alcuni corsi in modo da poter assumere più responsabilità al lavoro. I will attend some courses so that I can take more responsibility at work. |
| ... |
Exercise 3: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 4: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Di solito ____ italiano ogni giorno per prepararmi agli esami.
(I usually ____ Italian every day to prepare for exams.)2. Mentre ____ la tesi, facevo anche un tirocinio.
(While ____ the thesis, I was also doing an internship.)3. ____ sempre gli esami del semestre con buoni voti.
(____ always passed the semester exams with good grades.)4. Spesso ____ la retta universitaria prima della scadenza.
(I often ____ the university tuition before the deadline.)Exercise 5: My University Experience
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Essere - To be
Imperfetto
- io ero
- tu eri
- lui/lei era
- noi eravamo
- voi eravate
- loro erano
Studiare - To study
Imperfetto
- io studiavo
- tu studiavi
- lui/lei studiava
- noi studiavamo
- voi studiavate
- loro studiavano
Seguire - To attend
Imperfetto
- io seguivo
- tu seguivi
- lui/lei seguiva
- noi seguivamo
- voi seguivate
- loro seguivano
Fare - To do
Imperfetto
- io facevo
- tu facevi
- lui/lei faceva
- noi facevamo
- voi facevate
- loro facevano
Spiegare - To explain
Imperfetto
- io spiegavo
- tu spiegavi
- lui/lei spiegava
- noi spiegavamo
- voi spiegavate
- loro spiegavano
Pagare - To pay
Imperfetto
- io pagavo
- tu pagavi
- lui/lei pagava
- noi pagavamo
- voi pagavate
- loro pagavano
Exercise 6: Le espressioni temporali dell'imperfetto
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: The temporal expressions of the imperfect
Show translation Show answersMentre, ogni giorno, Spesso, Di solito, preparavo, sempre
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
A2.14.1 Grammatica
Le espressioni temporali dell'imperfetto
The temporal expressions of the imperfect
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Laurearsi to graduate Share Copied!
Imperfetto
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) mi laureavo | I was graduating |
| (tu) ti laureavi | You were graduating |
| (lui/lei) si laureava | he/she graduated |
| (noi) ci laureavamo | we were graduating |
| (voi) vi laureavate | You were graduating |
| (loro) si laureavano | they were graduating |
Superare to pass Share Copied!
Imperfetto
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) superavo | I was passing |
| (tu) superavi | You passed |
| (lui/lei) superava | he/she was passing |
| (noi) superavamo | we were passing |
| (voi) superavate | you were passing |
| (loro) superavano | they were passing |
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University Degree Lesson – The Imperfect Tense for Time Expressions
This lesson focuses on learning and using the imperfect tense (l'imperfetto) in Italian, especially to describe past habits, ongoing actions, and time-related expressions connected to university life.
Key Content and Structure
You will explore dialogues about university enrollment, course experiences, and post-graduate plans. These dialogues help you see the imperfect tense in practical, real-life contexts, such as talking about regular study routines, past responsibilities, or ongoing activities during your university years.
Examples of Imperfect Tense in Context
- Quando ero uno studente universitario (When I was a university student)
- Di solito studiavo ogni giorno (I usually studied every day)
- Mentre seguivo il corso... (While I was attending the course...)
- Spiegavano sempre con attenzione (They always explained carefully)
- Pagavo la retta all'inizio di ogni semestre (I paid the tuition at the beginning of each semester)
Verb Tables
The lesson includes conjugation tables for common verbs in the imperfect tense that are essential for talking about habitual actions and ongoing past situations. For example:
- Essere: io ero, tu eri, lui/lei era, noi eravamo, voi eravate, loro erano
- Studiare: io studiavo, tu studiavi, lui/lei studiava, noi studiavamo, voi studiavate, loro studiavano
- Fare: io facevo, tu facevi, lui/lei faceva, noi facevamo, voi facevate, loro facevano
Useful Expressions
Many phrases use time expressions like di solito (usually), spesso (often), and mentre (while), which are typical with imperfect tense to describe repeated or simultaneous past actions:
- Di solito studiavo... (Usually, I studied...)
- Spesso pagavo... (Often, I paid...)
- Mentre studiavo... (While I was studying...)
Instruction Language vs. Italian
Unlike English, which often uses the simple past (e.g., "I studied"), Italian distinguishes between completed past actions (passato prossimo) and habits or ongoing actions in the past (imperfetto). The imperfect describes what "used to happen" or was happening over a period of time, not just singular completed events.
Useful phrase equivalents include:
- I used to study = studiavo
- While I was studying = mentre studiavo
- They were explaining = spiegavano
This lesson enriches your ability to narrate past experiences naturally, especially in academic contexts. Mastery of these forms will enhance your storytelling and conversational skills in Italian.
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