HSC Italian Continuers flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Passato prossimo with essere

Use essere as auxiliary with verbs of motion, state and all reflexive verbs. The past participle then behaves like an adjective, agreeing with the subject: sono andato, è partita, ci siamo alzati.

Reflexive verb in present tense

Reflexive pronouns mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si precede the conjugated verb: mi sveglio, ti vesti, si lava, ci prepariamo. With infinitives the pronoun attaches to the end: svegliarsi, vestirsi.

Subjunctive after opinion verbs

Verbs like penso, credo, spero and impersonal phrases like è importante che take the subjunctive when the dependent clause has a different subject: penso che sia tardi, spero che venga.

Direct object pronouns

Lo, la, li, le replace a direct object and agree in gender and number: il libro - lo leggo; le ragazze - le invito. With the passato prossimo the participle agrees: le ho invitate.

Describing daily routine

Combine reflexive verbs with time markers: di solito mi alzo alle sette, poi faccio colazione, prima di uscire mi vesto. Frequency words include sempre, spesso, ogni giorno, qualche volta.

Future tense for plans

Add -ò, -ai, -à, -emo, -ete, -anno to the infinitive stem: parlerò, vedrai, partirà, finiremo. Used for future plans and predictions about one's own life or family.

Italian regions with special status

Five of Italy's twenty regions have special autonomous status: Valle d'Aosta, Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sardegna and Sicilia. Each has a statute granting wider legislative powers.

Regional capitals of Italy

Examples linking region and capital: Lombardia–Milano, Piemonte–Torino, Veneto–Venezia, Toscana–Firenze, Campania–Napoli, Puglia–Bari, Sicilia–Palermo, Lazio–Roma.

Linguistic minorities in Italy

Recognised minority languages include German in Alto Adige, French in Valle d'Aosta, Slovenian near Trieste, and Albanian and Greek communities in southern Italy, alongside Ladin and Friulian speakers.

Italian emigration patterns

Large emigration from the late nineteenth century went to Argentina, Brazil and the United States. Post-war migration moved to northern Europe, especially Germany, Switzerland and Belgium, for factory work.

Comites and Italian cultural institutes

Comites are elected committees of Italians abroad that advise consulates. Istituti Italiani di Cultura, funded by Italy, promote Italian language and culture in major cities worldwide.

La piazza and il bar

The piazza is the social centre of an Italian town, used for markets, festivals and meeting friends. Il bar is where people drink espresso, often standing at the counter, and chat with the barista.

Listening for numbers and prices

Numbers, times and prices are common answers and distractors. Note forms like venticinque, le tre e mezza, mille euro, and listen for a correction such as no, anzi, facciamo venti.

Register cues tu versus Lei

Use tu with friends, family and peers; use Lei in formal service encounters such as hotels, offices, doctors and shops. Verbs and pronouns change accordingly: come stai? versus come sta?

Discourse markers in listening

Allora and quindi introduce consequences or conclusions; però and invece signal contrast; comunque returns to the main point; infatti introduces confirmation; almeno means at least.

Negation and limiting words

Words like non, mai, niente, nessuno, solo, appena and ancora limit or reverse meaning. If the speaker says non vengo mai, a positive statement about attending is wrong.

Inferring a speaker's attitude

Adjectives and intonation reveal feelings: entusiasta, deluso, preoccupato, soddisfatto, arrabbiato, sorpreso, stufo. Rising enthusiasm or flat delivery can change whether a response is positive or negative.

Plan changes in a dialogue

When a speaker proposes something then changes it, the final decision is the answer. Cues include in realtà, purtroppo, ho cambiato idea, invece, alla fine, va bene allora.

Cognate traps in Italian reading

Attualmente means currently, not actually; eventualmente means possibly; libreria is bookshop; parente is relative; camera is room; firma is signature; magazzino is warehouse or store.

Scanning for specific details

Match question keywords to synonyms in the text: orario with ore, costo with prezzo, luogo with dove, motivo with perché. Underline the sentence containing the matching detail before answering.

Conventions of an Italian email

Informal emails open with Ciao or Caro/Cara plus name and close with A presto or Un abbraccio. Formal emails use Gentile and close with Cordiali saluti or Distinti saluti.

Logical connectors in reading

Perché and poiché introduce cause; quindi and perciò introduce result; però and tuttavia introduce contrast; inoltre adds information; invece marks alternative; infatti confirms.

Pronoun reference questions

When asked what che, cui or chi refers to, locate the nearest preceding noun that agrees in gender and number and fits the meaning of the verb in the relative clause.

Italian decimal and date format

Italian uses a comma as decimal separator and a full stop for thousands: 3,50 euro, 1.000 persone. Dates are written 5 marzo 2024, with the month in lower case and no ordinal.

Formal letter conventions

Formal Italian letters open with Gentile Signore or Gentile Dottoressa and close with Cordiali saluti or Distinti saluti. The courtesy pronoun Lei is capitalised and verbs take third-person singular forms.

Cohesive devices for writing

Sequence ideas with innanzitutto, in primo luogo, inoltre, d'altra parte, di conseguenza, infine, in conclusione. These signal structure and raise the range and organisation of a response.

Gerund for simultaneous actions

The gerund ends in -ando (parlare) or -endo (vedere, finire): studiando, vedendo, finendo. It expresses simultaneous or causal action, as in Avendo finito i compiti, sono uscito.

Conditional for polite requests

The conditional expresses courtesy and hypotheses: vorrei, potrebbe, potresti, mi piacerebbe, sarebbe possibile. Use it in formal letters and requests instead of blunt present-tense imperatives.

Text types in writing tasks

Common HSC text types include informal email, formal letter, diary entry, article, notice, review and blog post. Each has a set opening, closing and register that must be kept consistent.

Relative clauses with che and cui

Che is the subject or direct object relative pronoun: il ragazzo che parla. Cui follows a preposition: la città in cui vivo, l'amico con cui esco. Both avoid repetition and add range.

Agreement accuracy checklist

Check subject-verb agreement, adjective-noun gender and number, article forms, and participle agreement with essere verbs and preceding lo, la, li, le before submitting a written response.

Describing an Italian town

Useful structures: nel mio paese c'è/ci sono, si trova vicino a, dista dieci chilometri da, è famoso per. Combine with adjectives such as tranquillo, storico, affollato, suggestivo.