Difference between using Eravate and Faceva when talking about what you used to do.

Hello

I have a question about two sentences in lesson 9.6 level 2.

The first sentence is “Eravate professri” - were you teachers?

The second sentence is “il mio vicino faceva poliziotto” - my neighbour used to be a police officer.

I am confused as to why the first sentence uses eravate but the second uses faceva. Would it be incorrect to say “il mio vicino era poliziotto” instead?

Could you explain the rules for these two sentences please?

thank you.

Hello Erol,

That’s an excellent observation! The difference in verb usage between "Eravate" and "Faceva" indeed points towards subtle distinctions in Italian.

• - Eravate (from essere) - "Eravate professori?" (Were you teachers?) Here, the verb "essere" (to be) is used to denote a state of being or a profession in a straightforward, factual manner. It's akin to asking if being teachers was a part of their identity.
• - Faceva (from fare) - "Il mio vicino faceva il poliziotto" translates to "My neighbor used to work as a police officer." In this context, "fare" implies that he was performing the duties associated with being a police officer. It’s not just about being, but about doing something actively.

You can certainly say "Il mio vicino era poliziotto" (My neighbor was a police officer), which would be correct too. The choice between "era" and "faceva" can sometimes depend on the speaker's intent to emphasize the nature of the job as an active role (using "fare") rather than just a title or state of being (using "essere").

In summary:

• - Use "essere" when referring to states or conditions that define the subject.
• - Use "fare" to emphasize the action or the roles performed by the subject.
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I hope this clarifies your query! Feel free to reach out if you have more questions.

Best regards,

Enxhi