Breakdown of Avevo terminato la pausa pranzo e stavo per uscire quando il telefono ha suonato.
io
I
e
and
quando
when
il telefono
the phone
suonare
to ring
terminare
to finish
la pausa pranzo
the lunch break
stare per uscire
to be about to leave
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Questions & Answers about Avevo terminato la pausa pranzo e stavo per uscire quando il telefono ha suonato.
Why is avevo terminato (trapassato prossimo) used instead of ho terminato (passato prossimo)?
Trapassato prossimo indicates an action completed before another past action. Here, “I had finished the lunch break” happens before the moment “I was about to leave,” so you use avevo terminato.
What does stavo per uscire mean and why use this construction?
Stare per + infinitive in the imperfect expresses that you were on the verge of doing something in the past: “I was about to leave.” It sets up an action that was just about to start when something else happened.
Why not use the future tense (e.g. uscirò) instead of stavo per uscire?
The future expresses a prediction or plan from the present viewpoint. To show an intended or imminent action in the past, Italian uses stavo per + infinitive, not the future tense.
Why is quando il telefono ha suonato in the passato prossimo?
The phone ringing is a single, punctual event that interrupts the background action. Passato prossimo is used for completed actions or events that occur at a specific moment.
How do the three past tenses (trapassato prossimo, imperfetto, passato prossimo) work together here?
You sequence them by time and aspect:
• Trapassato prossimo (avevo terminato) for the first completed action.
• Imperfetto (stavo per uscire) for the ongoing or background action.
• Passato prossimo (ha suonato) for the interrupting, punctual event.
Why is it la pausa pranzo? Could you say pausa di pranzo or just pranzo?
Pausa pranzo (with the article la) is the standard phrase for “lunch break.” You might hear pausa di pranzo, but it’s less common. Saying just pranzo refers to the meal itself, not the break.
Is there a difference between terminare and finire in this context?
They’re near synonyms meaning “to finish.” Terminare can sound slightly more formal, but ho finito la pausa pranzo would work equally well in everyday Italian.