01 / 08
Set the time
Ieri ho lavorato.
Yesterday I worked.
Ieri places the story yesterday. Use the two-part past forms you have already learned.
02 / 08
Add the evening
Ieri sera ho mangiato fuori.
Last night I ate out.
Ieri sera means yesterday evening / last night. La scorsa notte refers more specifically to the night.
03 / 08
This morning
Stamattina ho fatto la spesa.
This morning I did the shopping.
Stamattina can go with a past form for something already done, even if today is not over.
04 / 08
Then go somewhere
Poi sono andato in centro.
Then I went into town. (man)
Poi sono andata in centro.
Then I went into town. (woman)
Switch helpers when the next action needs it. Sono andato / andata uses essere even after an avere sentence.
05 / 08
After an event
Dopo il lavoro ho visto Giulia.
After work I saw Giulia.
Dopo siamo andati al ristorante.
Afterwards we went to the restaurant. (men / mixed group)
Dopo + noun tells when the next action happened. Dopo can also stand alone as afterwards.
06 / 08
Returning home
Sono tornata a casa alle dieci.
I got home at ten. (woman)
Tornare uses essere in this everyday sense. Add a time to make the story more specific.
07 / 08
Keep the sequence natural
Ieri ho lavorato. Poi sono andato in centro. Ho mangiato con un amico e sono tornato a casa.
Yesterday I worked. Then I went into town. I ate with a friend and came home. (man)
You do not need to repeat ieri before every sentence. Establish the time once and connect the actions.
Remember this
Takeaway
Ieri ho fatto la spesa. Poi ho cucinato. Dopo cena ho visto un film.
Yesterday I did the shopping. Then I cooked. After dinner I watched a film.
Tell three true steps from yesterday. Keep each action’s helper and use poi or dopo to guide your listener.