AIL DELI A2 cheat sheet

Definite articles: il (m. sing. cons.), lo (m. sing. s+cons., z, gn, ps, x, y), l' (m./f. sing. vowel), i (m. pl. cons.), gli (m. pl. s+cons., z, gn, ps, x, y, vowel), la (f. sing. cons.), le (f. pl. all).

Indefinite articles: un (m.), uno (m. before s+cons., z, gn, ps, x, y), una (f.), un' (f. before vowel).

Present indicative of essere: sono, sei, è, siamo, siete, sono. Avere: ho, hai, ha, abbiamo, avete, hanno.

Regular present -are: -o, -i, -a, -iamo, -ate, -ano. -ere: -o, -i, -e, -iamo, -ete, -ono. -ire: -o, -i, -e, -iamo, -ite, -ono (some -isc-: capisco, capisci, capisce, capiamo, capite, capiscono).

Passato prossimo: avere + past participle (regular -ato, -uto, -ito) for transitive verbs; essere + past participle (agreeing in gender/number with subject) for intransitive verbs of motion/change/state and all reflexives.

Imperfetto endings: -avo, -avi, -ava, -avamo, -avate, -avano; -evo, -evi, -eva, -evamo, -evate, -evano; -ivo, -ivi, -iva, -ivamo, -ivate, -ivano. Use for habitual actions, descriptions, ongoing past states.

Future endings (regular): -erò, -erai, -erà, -eremo, -erete, -eranno added to infinitive (with -are → -er-). Irregular stems: sar-, avr-, andr-, potr-, dovr-, vorr-.

Conditional present: -erei, -eresti, -erebbe, -eremmo, -ereste, -erebbero (same stems as future). Used for polite requests and hypotheticals.

Object pronouns: mi, ti, lo/la, ci, vi, li/le. Indirect: mi, ti, gli/le, ci, vi, gli. Combined: me lo, te la, glielo, ce ne, ve li, gliele.

Skim the questions first to identify keywords (names, dates, numbers) before reading the passage in detail.

Locate the relevant paragraph by matching proper nouns, numbers, or cognates from the question to the text.

Distinguish main idea from supporting details: main idea answers 'what is the text about?', details answer 'who/what/when/where?'.

Watch for negation and limiting words: non, mai, nessuno, niente, senza, tranne, solo, soltanto - they reverse or restrict meaning.

Recognize discourse markers: però, invece, quindi, perciò, tuttavia, inoltre, infatti, mentre - they signal contrast, consequence, or addition.

Infer vocabulary from context: use word formation (prefixes: s-, ri-, dis-; suffixes: -zione, -mento, -ità) and cognates with English.

For true/false items, verify the exact wording; a statement that is partly false is false. Do not rely on general knowledge over the text.

Time management: allocate about 1.5 minutes per question; if stuck, mark and return after completing easier items.

Predict content from the question and options before listening; identify the text type (announcement, conversation, news, message).

Listen for numbers, times, prices, dates, and proper names - they are frequent answer targets and often repeated or spelled out.

Note discourse markers that signal contrast or correction: ma, però, invece, anzi, piuttosto, al contrario.

Distractors often repeat words from the audio but change one detail (time, place, person); match the whole meaning, not isolated words.

For multiple-choice, eliminate options that contradict the audio; the correct option paraphrases rather than copies.

In dialogues, track speaker roles and intentions (request, complaint, invitation, refusal) via formulaic expressions: Vorrei..., Puoi...?, Mi dispiace, Certo, Volentieri.

If a word is missed, keep listening; later context often clarifies. Do not pause mentally on one unknown item.

Second listening: confirm answers and check items you guessed; change an answer only with clear evidence.

Plan before writing: identify the task (email, message, postcard, short article), the recipient (formal/informal), and required content points.

Formal register: use Lei, titles (Gentile Signore/Signora, Egregio Dottore), greetings (Buongiorno, Distinti saluti); avoid tu and colloquialisms.

Informal register: use tu, Ciao, Caro/a, a presto, un abbraccio; contractions and idiomatic expressions are acceptable.

Email structure: greeting, opening (ti scrivo per.../Le scrivo per...), body with connectors (prima, poi, inoltre, infine), closing formula, signature.

Use cohesive devices: perché, quindi, però, inoltre, invece, infine, da una parte... dall'altra; avoid repetitive 'e' and 'ma'.

Check verb agreement: subject-verb, noun-adjective (gender/number), and past participle with essere; verify accents (è, é, sì, si, né, ne).

Word count: aim for the required length; 10% under or over is usually acceptable, but missing content points loses more than grammar errors.

Proofread for spelling and punctuation: double consonants (anno/ano, fatto/fato), apostrophes (l'amico, un'amica), and capital letters for months (lowercase in Italian).

Open with a formulaic greeting appropriate to register: Buongiorno (formal), Ciao (informal); introduce yourself with Mi chiamo.../Sono...

Use fillers to gain time naturally: allora, dunque, vediamo, cioè, insomma, beh - avoid long silent pauses.

For describing a picture or experience, structure: che cosa vedo (persone, luoghi, azioni), che cosa succede, che cosa penso/provo.

Ask for clarification politely: Scusi, può ripetere? Non ho capito, può parlare più lentamente? Come si dice...? Che cosa significa...?

Express opinions with: secondo me, a mio parere, penso che + congiuntivo (or indicative in informal A2 speech), mi sembra che.

Use circumlocution when a word is unknown: È una cosa che serve per... / È una persona che... / Si usa quando...

Interactive turn-taking: acknowledge (Sì, capisco; Hai ragione; Davvero?), react (Che bello! Mi dispiace), and ask back (E tu? Lei?).

Pronunciation focus: double consonants are held longer (pala vs palla), open/closed e/o, and stress often on penultimate syllable; final vowels are always pronounced.