TEST ITA L2 cheat sheet

Skim the item stems before the passage so you know which details to hunt for; then read the passage once for global meaning before answering.

Main-idea questions are answered by the opening and closing sentences of paragraphs, not by the most striking detail in the middle.

Distinguish fact from inference: if the passage does not state it, an answer choice that merely sounds plausible is wrong.

Signal words mark logical relations: 'tuttavia/ma/però' = contrast, 'quindi/dunque/perciò' = consequence, 'infatti' = explanation.

Referent questions ('a che cosa si riferisce...') require matching gender and number of the pronoun to the noun it replaces.

Vocabulary-in-context items: substitute each option into the sentence and check that the surrounding grammar and register still fit.

For true/false or matching tasks, locate the exact line supporting the choice; an unsupported true statement is still not the answer.

In Italian expository texts, the conclusion often sits in the final paragraph introduced by 'in conclusione', 'pertanto', 'in sintesi'.

Italian double consonants are length distinctions, not spelling quirks: 'pala' vs 'palla', 'casa' vs 'cassa' carry different words.

Predict likely content from the question and any context given before playback; note whether the task needs gist, detail, or numbers.

Numbers, times, and prices are frequent distractors: the first number heard is often corrected later ('no, alle otto e mezza').

Register cues: 'tu' forms signal informal/peer talk, 'Lei' forms signal formal or service encounters; this narrows who is speaking.

Common spoken fillers and discourse markers: 'allora', 'cioè', 'insomma', 'praticamente', 'dunque' - they signal a reformulation or summary.

Negation and hedging change meaning: 'non è che...', 'mica', 'se mai', 'non proprio' often reverse the surface sense of a statement.

Telephone and announcement formulas ('pronto', 'chi parla?', 'si prega di...') indicate the text type and expected information.

When a detail is missed, keep listening: later discourse frequently restates or clarifies the same point.

Passato prossimo vs imperfetto: completed single events take passato prossimo; habitual, descriptive, or ongoing background takes imperfetto.

Auxiliary choice: transitive verbs take 'avere'; most motion, change-of-state, and reflexive verbs take 'essere', with past participle agreeing in gender/number.

Congiuntivo is triggered by doubt, opinion, emotion, and impersonal expressions ('penso che', 'è possibile che', 'benché'), even when the subject differs.

After 'se' in unreal conditions, use congiuntivo imperfetto/trapassato in the if-clause and condizionale in the main clause.

Object pronouns precede the conjugated verb but attach to infinitives, gerunds, and affirmative imperatives ('dammelo', 'voglio vederlo').

'Ne' replaces a partitive or a quantity ('ne ho due'); 'ci' replaces a place or an 'a/in' phrase ('ci vado').

Agreement rules: adjectives agree with nouns; 'molto/poco/troppo' agree when adjectives, stay invariable when adverbs.

False friends to flag: 'eventualmente' = possibly (not eventually), 'attualmente' = currently, 'fattoria' = farm, 'morbido' = soft.

Plan a short text in three moves: opening statement of purpose, body with two or three developed points, closing formula.

Formal letter/email frame: 'Gentile Signora,' ... 'Cordiali saluti'; informal: 'Ciao,' ... 'A presto' or 'Un abbraccio'.

Cohesion devices to deploy: 'innanzitutto', 'inoltre', 'd'altra parte', 'di conseguenza', 'infine' - one per logical step.

Keep tense control: narrative in passato prossimo/imperfetto, opinions and plans in presente or futuro, hypotheses in condizionale.

Word-count tasks: count only content words you can defend; padding with lists costs coherence marks.

Accents change meaning and are graded: 'è' (verb) vs 'e' (and), 'sì' vs 'si', 'perché' vs 'perche' (incorrect).

Apocope and elision are obligatory in set phrases: 'un'ora', 'quest'anno', 'd'accordo', 'nessun problema'.

Proofread for the four high-frequency errors: article-noun gender, adjective agreement, auxiliary choice, and preposition after verbs.

Turn-taking formulas: 'Scusi, posso chiedere...?', 'Volevo dire che...', 'Come diceva lei...', 'Mi scusi, non ho capito'.

Repair strategies keep the exchange alive: 'Può ripetere più lentamente?', 'Cosa significa...?', 'Intende dire che...?'.

Formality is decided at the first turn: choose 'tu' or 'Lei' and keep it consistent; switching mid-exchange reads as a register error.

Agreeing and disagreeing: 'Sono d'accordo, però...', 'Non direi, invece...', 'Da un lato... dall'altro...'.

For paired tasks (planning, choosing, negotiating), state a proposal, give one reason, then invite the partner's view.

Pronunciation targets that affect intelligibility: double consonants, open/closed 'e' and 'o', and consistent word stress on penultimate syllables.

Fillers buy planning time without silence: 'beh', 'dunque', 'come dire', 'insomma' - use sparingly and never to replace content.

Describing a picture or situation: anchor with place and people, then action in progress, then a personal comment or inference.