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Siccome avevo paura, pensavo che l'ombra fosse un mostro.

Siccome avevo paura, pensavo che l'ombra fosse un mostro.
Since I was afraid, I thought that the shadow was a monster.
From Lesson 195:Sequence of tenses with past main clauses·Italian

Questions & Answers about Siccome avevo paura, pensavo che l'ombra fosse un mostro.

Why do we use the imperfect subjunctive fosse here instead of the present subjunctive?
The main verb, pensavo (I thought), is in a past tense. When the main verb is in the past, Italian sequence of tenses requires the imperfect subjunctive for the second verb to show that both things were happening at the exact same time.
Could I start this sentence with perché instead of siccome?
No, perché is rarely used at the very beginning of a sentence to mean since or because. When stating the reason at the start of a sentence, Italians use siccome or dato che. You would only use perché if you flipped the sentence around: Pensavo che l'ombra fosse un mostro perché avevo paura.
Why are avevo and pensavo in the imperfect tense rather than the passato prossimo?
The imperfect is used for descriptions, ongoing states of being, and feelings in the past. Both having fear and thinking in this context are continuous mental states that form the background of the story, rather than single, completed actions.
Why does the Italian sentence use avevo for I was afraid?
English uses the verb "to be" for many physical and emotional states, but Italian often uses avere (to have) plus a noun. Just like avere fame (to be hungry) or avere freddo (to be cold), you must use avere paura to express being afraid.

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