Module 9Grammar reviewPremium
Italian in everyday situations
Reviews practise both sides: wherever Lukas and Lena would say something differently, you do it once as each.
Passato prossimo
| Form | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| I looked for Milo. | ||
| I looked for Milo. | ||
| Mrs Rossi saw everything. | ||
| Mrs Rossi saw everything. | ||
| / | Yesterday I went home. | |
| Yesterday I went home. | ||
| I put it here ten minutes ago. | ||
| I put it here ten minutes ago. | ||
Use for finished events: something happened, and now we talk about it. It is very common in everyday Italian. You make it with the present of or plus a past participle, like or .
Many action verbs use : , , . These forms do not change for gender. You can also add time words like , , or .
Some movement and change-of-place verbs often use : , . With , the participle agrees with the person: , . This is important for the learner too: for Lukas, for Lena.
In simple stories, gives the main events. It often answers: what happened?
Irregolari utili
| Form | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| seen / saw | ||
| seen / saw | ||
| heard | ||
| heard | ||
| found | ||
| found | ||
| / | gone / went | |
| gone / went | ||
| come / came | ||
| come / came | ||
Common past participles include both regular and irregular forms. Learn these frequent forms as whole words: , , , , .
With , the participle stays the same: , , . With , agreement is important: , , .
Notice that is regular in form, but it appears all the time in stories and questions, so learn it well. In this module it is also useful with the negative: .
When you speak about yourself, choose the correct form for your gender in Italian.
Azioni del festival
| Form | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| / | fell / has fallen | |
| fell / has fallen | ||
| screamed / has screamed | ||
| screamed / has screamed | ||
| touched / has touched | ||
| touched / has touched | ||
| / | I fell | |
| I fell | ||
In stories, small action verbs are very useful. Here you meet , and . Learn them in simple past forms: , , .
The auxiliary depends on the real Italian verb, not on English. uses : . uses : . also uses : .
With , agreement changes: , . With , the participle usually stays the same at this level.
These verbs help you tell what happened in order: first the lights went out, then something fell, then someone screamed.
Era o è successo?
| Form | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| it was | ||
| it was | ||
| he had / he was (age) | ||
| he had / he was (age) | ||
| she was taking / used to take | ||
| she was taking / used to take | ||
| he danced | ||
| he danced | ||
Italian often uses two past forms together. gives background, situation, habit or description: , , . It answers: what was the situation?
gives the event that happened: , , . It answers: what happened?
So you can say: First, the background: it was dark. Then, the event: he screamed. Or:
At this level, use a few common forms as chunks: , , , , , .
Domani e una lettera
| Form | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Tomorrow I'll buy a stamp. | ||
| Tomorrow I'll buy a stamp. | ||
| Tonight we'll look at the photos. | ||
| Tonight we'll look at the photos. | ||
| The concert starts in ten minutes. | ||
| The concert starts in ten minutes. | ||
| it will be / she will have | ||
| it will be / she will have | ||
In Italian, very often you talk about future plans with the present plus a time word: , , . This is natural and common.
You do not need a special future form every time. The time expression makes the meaning clear. This is especially useful at A1 level.
You may also meet a few future forms as fixed chunks, like and , but they are optional here. For example: or Learn them as ready-made forms.
A short letter or postcard is simple: greeting, a few past events, one future plan, and closing:
Practice 1/6 · Finding words
Notice the useful pattern
Tap the form practised in this unit.
As Lukas
.
Yesterday I arrived home late.
As Lena
.
Yesterday I arrived home late.
As Lukas
.
After the concert I went home.
As Lena
.
After the concert I went home.
As Lukas
.
Yesterday I fell on the stairs.
As Lena
.
Yesterday I fell on the stairs.
As Lukas
.
On Saturday I was tired but I worked well.
As Lena
.
On Saturday I was tired but I worked well.
Practice 2/6 · The right form
Choose the form
Use the English meaning and the pattern in this unit.
As Lukas
Ieri tardi a casa.
Yesterday I arrived home late.
As Lena
Ieri tardi a casa.
Yesterday I arrived home late.
As Lukas
Dopo il concerto sono a casa.
After the concert I went home.
As Lena
Dopo il concerto sono a casa.
After the concert I went home.
As Lukas
Ieri sulle scale.
Yesterday I fell on the stairs.
As Lena
Ieri sulle scale.
Yesterday I fell on the stairs.
As Lukas
Sabato ero stanco ma bene.
On Saturday I was tired but I worked well.
As Lena
Sabato ero stanca ma bene.
On Saturday I was tired but I worked well.
As Lukas
Ciao! , Lukas
Bye! Yours, Lukas/Lena
As Lena
Ciao! , Lena
Bye! Yours, Lukas/Lena
Io Milo al festival.
I saw Milo at the festival.
Tu il fantasma?
Did you see the ghost?
La batteria nel buio.
The drum fell in the dark.
Practice 3/6 · Fill the gaps
Complete the messages
Fill the gaps with the words from the box.
As Lukas
Ieri sulle scale.
Yesterday I fell on the stairs.
As Lena
Ieri sulle scale.
Yesterday I fell on the stairs.
As Lukas
Sabato ero stanco ma bene.
On Saturday I was tired but I worked well.
As Lena
Sabato ero stanca ma bene.
On Saturday I was tired but I worked well.
As Lukas
Ciao! , Lukas
Bye! Yours, Lukas/Lena
As Lena
Ciao! , Lena
Bye! Yours, Lukas/Lena
Io Milo al festival.
I saw Milo at the festival.
Tu il fantasma?
Did you see the ghost?
La batteria nel buio.
The drum fell in the dark.
Practice 4/6 · Building sentences
Build a sentence
Put the words in order.
As Lukas
Yesterday I arrived home late.
As Lena
Yesterday I arrived home late.
As Lukas
After the concert I went home.
As Lena
After the concert I went home.
As Lukas
Yesterday I fell on the stairs.
As Lena
Yesterday I fell on the stairs.
As Lukas
On Saturday I was tired but I worked well.
As Lena
On Saturday I was tired but I worked well.
As Lukas
Bye! Yours, Lukas/Lena
As Lena
Bye! Yours, Lukas/Lena
I saw Milo at the festival.
Practice 5/6 · In situations
What would you say?
Choose the right words for the situation.
As Lukas
Yesterday I arrived home late.
You say:
Use the meaning and Italian pattern explained in this unit.
As Lena
Yesterday I arrived home late.
You say:
Use the meaning and Italian pattern explained in this unit.
As Lukas
After the concert I went home.
You say:
Use the meaning and Italian pattern explained in this unit.
As Lena
After the concert I went home.
You say:
Use the meaning and Italian pattern explained in this unit.
As Lukas
Yesterday I fell on the stairs.
You say:
Use the meaning and Italian pattern explained in this unit.
As Lena
Yesterday I fell on the stairs.
You say:
Use the meaning and Italian pattern explained in this unit.
As Lukas
On Saturday I was tired but I worked well.
You say:
Use the meaning and Italian pattern explained in this unit.
As Lena
On Saturday I was tired but I worked well.
You say:
Use the meaning and Italian pattern explained in this unit.
Practice 6/6 · Matching
Connect messages and meanings
Match the pairs.
Unit complete
