10 min Sai cosa sono i tempi misti in inglese ma non sei sicuro di saperli usare? Oppure non hai proprio idea di cosa siano le mixed tenses e quando si usano? Niente paura, continua a leggere questo articolo. Lo ha scritto per te Novakid, scuola online che organizza corsi di inglese in 49 paesi del mondo, per tutti i livelli, dall’inglese per bambini di prima elementare fino all’ inglese 3 media.
Scopriremo insieme cosa sono le mixed tenses o tempi misti, quando si usano e a cosa servono. Ma soprattutto troverai tantissimi esercizi online sulle mixed tense per mettere alla prova le tue competenze. Vedrai, dopo i nostri esercizi sui tempi verbali misti in inglese non avranno più segreti per te!
Prima di iniziare i nostri esercizi “di mescolare i tempi”, ecco in due parole cosa sono i tempi misti in inglese.
Cosa sono le mixed tenses in inglese
Con il termine mixed tenses, tradotto in italiano come tempi misti, in inglese ci si riferisce all‘uso di tempi verbali diversi nella stessa frase o nella stessa costruzione grammaticale. Questa struttura ci torna utile quando vogliamo:
- Esprimere relazioni temporali complesse
- Evidenziare la sequenza degli eventi
- Indicare cambiamenti di stato nel passato, presente o futuro.
Di seguito, ecco qualche esempio di mixed tense molto comune in inglese, che ti mostrerà come questa costruzione possa essere utilizzata per comunicare in modo più preciso le relazioni temporali e le sequenze nelle frasi inglesi.
Present Perfect + Simple Past:
Esempio: I have lived in Rome, but now I live in Milan.
Spiegazione: In questa frase, si usa il Present Perfect (have lived) per indicare un’esperienza di vita che è iniziata nel passato e continua nel presente. Tuttavia, si passa al Simple Past (live) per esprimere la situazione attuale.
Present Continuous + Simple Present:
Esempio: “I am reading a book that explains the theory.”
Spiegazione: Il Present Continuous (am reading) indica un’azione in corso, mentre il Simple Present (explains) introduce un evento generale. Insieme, enfatizzano l’azione in corso nel contesto di un’informazione generale.
Past Perfect + Simple Past:
Esempio: “She had finished her work when the boss arrived.”
Spiegazione: Il Past Perfect (“had finished”) indica un’azione completata prima di un altro evento nel passato (“arrived” – Simple Past). Questa costruzione aiuta a chiarire la sequenza temporale.
Future Perfect + Present Simple:
Esempio: By the time you arrive, I will have already left.
Spiegazione: Il Future Perfect (will have left) mostra un’azione futura completata prima di un altro evento futuro (espresso al Present Simple con arrive). Questa costruzione sottolinea la precedenza temporale.
Present Perfect continuous + Simple Present:
Esempio: I have been studying Italian, and now I speak it fluently.
Spiegazione: Il Present Perfect Continuous (have been studying) indica una durata di studio che ha portato a una competenza attuale (speak, Simple Present).
Esercizi sulle mixed tenses livello A1
Cominciamo con il livello più elementare, quello che mescola i tempi verbali padroneggiati al primo livello di conoscenza dell’inglese: Present simple, Past simple, Future simple, Present Continuous. (Esercizi present simple misto con present continuous e past tense)
Nelle 10 frasi che seguono, completa le parti mancanti inserendo il tempo verbale giusto del verbo indicato fra parentesi. Poi clicca su “Mostra i risultati” per confrontare le tue risposte con le nostre.
Yesterday, they (play) ______ tennis, and today they (plan) ________ to play soccer. 
Yesterday, they played tennis, and today they are planning to play soccer.
Last night, they (watch) _______ an amazing movie, and today they (talk) _____ still _________ about it.
Last night, they watched an amazing movie, and today the are still talking about it.
It (rain) __________now, if it (stop) ______ we (go) ______ out.
It is raining now, if it stops we’ll go out.
We (study) _______because we (have) ______ an English exam tomorrow.
We are studying because we have an English exam tomorrow.
Next week we (start) ________our motorhome trip, but for now (relax) _______on the beach.
Next week we will start our motor home trip, but for now we are relaxing on the beach.
Every morning Laura (drink) _____ coffee before going out, but this morning she (go) _____ out without breakfast.
Every morning Laura drinks coffee before going out, but this morning she went out without breakfast.
Today we (play) ________in the park all day and now I (feel) ________ very tired.
Today we played in the park all day and now I feel very tired.
At the moment I (not speak ) __________English fluently, but I (study) _______a lot and I (learn) ________ soon, I know!
At the moment I don’t speak English fluently, but I am studying a lot and I will learn soon, I know!
Right now I (do) ______my homework. After that I (go) _______to the pool – I’m very busy!
Right now I’m doing my homework. After that I’ll go to the pool – I’m very busy!
Laura (study) ________ dance for many years and she (be) ____ now a professional dancer.
Laura studied dance for many years and she is now a professional dancer.
Tempi misti: esercizi inglese A2/B1
Gli studenti ESL di livello A2/B1 – che potremmo definire intermedio e che corrisponde al livello di inglese delle medie – padroneggiano le verb tenses elencate nel paragrafo precedente il Present perfect, il Present perfect continuous, il Past continuous e il discorso indiretto. Anche qui, riempi gli spazi e poi clicca su Mostra i risultati per confrontare le risposte
He (say) ______ he (not want) ________ to work next year, he (need) a break.
He said he doesn’t want to work next year, he needs a break.
We (live) ______in this city for three years before we (decide) to move.
We had lived in this city for three years before we decided to move.
Nothing that (happen) _______ (change) _________my decision.
Nothing that has happened will change my decision.
I (study)_________ for the exam right now, but yesterday I (watch) _________ a movie.
I am studying for the exam right now, but yesterday I watched a movie.
She (be) ________a teacher for five years before she (start) __________working as a manager.
She had been a teacher for five years before she started working as a manager.
I (lose) ______my wallet, (see) ______you _______ it anywhere?
I lost my wallet, have you seen it anywhere?
He (cook) ___________dinner when his friends (call) _________him.
He was cooking dinner when his friends called him.
They (travel) __________to many countries, and next year they (visit) _______Japan.
They have traveled to many countries, and next year they will visit Japan.
“I (not like) _________coffee,” she (say) ________. She (prefer) _______ tea.
“I don’t like coffee,” she said. She prefers tea.
I (work) ____________here for 15 years, so I (know) ________my job well.
I have been working here for 15 years, so I know my job well.
Se vuoi altri esercizi present perfect leggi il nostro articolo Present perfect vs Present perfect continuous. Inoltre trovi online un’altra esercitazione sul past simple nel post Present perfect vs past simple.
Esercizi online mixed tenses livello B2
Se sei al livello B2 controlli tutti i tempi verbali inglesi perfetti e continui, anche il futuro nel passato (future anteriore), tutti i modal verbs, gli infiniti e i gerundi. La mixed tenses ti risultano probabilmente facili da usare. Allora forse ti va di esercitare tempi futuri misti e di cimentarti in un po’ di esercizi misti sul passato. Vai, completa le frasi e poi confronta i risultati!
Trovi altri esercizi sui futuri in inglese nelle nostre lezioni online su Future perfect vs Future continuous e Future perfect continuous.
When she (realize) _______she (forget) ___________ her keys, she (leave) __________home.
When she realized she had forgotten her keys, she had already left home.
Despite (work) ________hard, they (not achieve) ________the desired results in the project.
Despite working hard, they did not achieve the desired results in the project.
I (regret) ____________not taking that opportunity when it (present) ___________itself.
I regret not taking that opportunity when it presented itself.
If he(be) __________more attentive, he (notice) _______________the errors in the report.
If he had been more attentive, he would have noticed the errors in the report.
She (talk) __________ about her future plans as if she (decide) _________________ everything already.
She talks about her future plans as if she has already decided everything.
I (wish) _________ I (take) _____________that job offer last year.
I wish I had taken that job offer last year.
She (promise) ___________she (help) ___________with the event, but she (cancel) _____________ at the last minute.
She promised she would help with the event, but she cancelled at the last minute.
They (make) __________ many sacrifices, and by the end of next year they (save) ____________enough to go on a trip around the world
They are making many sacrifices, and by the end of next year they will have saved enough to go on a trip around the world
It’s high time she (understand) _________ that success (require) _______ hard work.
It’s high time she realized that success requires hard work.
I don’t believe you, Paul (never do) ______________________such a bad thing to the person he (love) _________ most in the world.
I don’t believe you, Paul would have never done such a bad thing to the person he loves most in the world.
Esercizi sui tempi misti in inglese livello C1/C2
E qui siamo al livello pro! ? Se sei C1 o C2 di inglese le tue competenze sono profonde ed estese. Praticamente un madrelingua o quasi. Allora per farti esercitare sulle mixed tenses abbiamo scelto due grandi opere della letteratura americana: Great Gatsby di F. Scott Fitzgerald e Little Women di Louisa May Alcott.
Come al solito completa le frasi e poi clicca su “Mostra i risultati”. Nel primo passo ti chiediamo di inserire 15 voci verbali, nel secondo 25. In totale avrai fatto altri 40 esercizi di inglese online e gratis sulle mixed tenses.
The opening paragraphs of The Great Gatsby
In my younger and more vulnerable years my father (give) _________ me some advice that I (turn over) _____________in my mind ever since.
In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.
“Whenever you (feel) _______________ like criticizing any one,” he (tell) _________ me, “just (remember) __________________ that all the people in this world (not have) ____________ the advantages that you (have)___________.
“Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”
”He (not say) _____________any more, but we (be) _______________ unusually communicative in a reserved way, and I (understand) _____________ that he (mean) ________ a great deal more than that. In consequence, I (be) _____________inclined to reserve all judgments, a habit that )open up) ________________many curious natures to me and also made me the victim of not a few veteran bores.
He didn’t say any more, but we’ve always been unusually communicative in a reserved way, and I understood that he meant a great deal more than that. In consequence, I’m inclined to reserve all judgments, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me and also made me the victim of not a few veteran bores.
The opening paragraphs of Little Women
“Christmas (be) _______ Christmas without any presents,” (grumble) _______ Jo, lying on the rug.
“Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents,” grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.
“It’s so dreadful (be) _______ poor!” (sigh) _________ Meg, (look) ________ down at her old dress.
“It’s so dreadful to be poor!” sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress.
“I (not think)______________ it (be) __________ fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all,” (add) __________ little Amy, with an injured sniff.
“I don’t think it’s fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all,” added little Amy, with an injured sniff.
“We (have) _________got Father and Mother, and each other,” (say) ________Beth contentedly from her corner.
“We’ve got Father and Mother, and each other,” said Beth contentedly from her corner.
The four young faces on which the firelight shone brightened at the cheerful words, but (darken) ___________ again as Jo said sadly, “We (not have) ________ got Father, and (not have ) ____________ him for a long time.” She (not say) __________ “perhaps never,” but each silently (add) _________it, thinking of Father far away, where the fighting was.
The four young faces on which the firelight shone brightened at the cheerful words, but darkened again as Jo said sadly, “We haven’t got Father, and shall not have him for a long time.” She didn’t say “perhaps never,” but each silently added it, thinking of Father far away, where the fighting was.
Nobody spoke for a minute; then Meg said in an altered tone, “You (know) ________ the reason Mother (propose) ____________ not having any presents this Christmas (be) __________ because it (be) __________ a hard winter for everyone; and she (think) __________we (not ought to / spend) _________________money for pleasure, when our men (suffer)__________so in the army. We (not can / do) __________much, but we can make our little sacrifices, and ought to do it gladly. But I (be) _______ afraid I don’t,” and Meg shook her head, as she (think) _________ regretfully of all the pretty things she (want) _______.
Nobody spoke for a minute; then Meg said in an altered tone, “You know the reason Mother proposed not having any presents this Christmas was because it is going to be a hard winter for everyone; and she thinks we ought not to spend money for pleasure, when our men are suffering so in the army. We can’t do much, but we can make our little sacrifices, and ought to do it gladly. But I am afraid I don’t,” and Meg shook her head, as she thought regretfully of all the pretty things she wanted.
