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.
Io Milo al festival.
I saw Milo at the festival.
Tu il fantasma?
Did you see the ghost?
Tu il fantasma?
Did you see the ghost?
La batteria nel buio.
The drum fell in the dark.
La batteria nel buio.
The drum fell in the dark.
Practice 4/6 · Building sentences
Build a sentence
Put the words in order.
Too hard? Listen to the sentence first.
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
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