TEST ITA L2 flashcards

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

Skimming vs scanning

Skimming means reading quickly for the general topic and structure of a text; scanning means moving the eyes to locate one specific piece of information such as a name, date, or number.

Main idea location

In Italian expository paragraphs the main idea usually appears in the first sentence, restated in the last; middle sentences supply examples and detail rather than the central claim.

Referent tracking

To resolve what a pronoun refers to, match its gender and number to preceding nouns and check that the substituted noun keeps the sentence logical within the passage context.

Contrast connectors

Words such as ma, però, tuttavia, invece, and bensì signal that the second clause reverses or limits the first, so answer choices must respect that opposition.

Consequence connectors

Quindi, dunque, perciò, pertanto, and di conseguenza introduce a result; the clause after them is a conclusion drawn from what precedes, not new unrelated information.

Inference versus statement

A statement is directly written in the text; an inference is only implied. Reading items that ask what is stated require textual support, so plausible but unstated options are incorrect.

Double consonants

In Italian, consonant length distinguishes words: pala versus palla, casa versus cassa, nono versus nonno. Mishearing length changes the word, not just the accent.

Numbers as distractors

In listening tasks speakers often correct themselves, saying a time or price and then revising it. The final figure stated is normally the one the question targets.

Formality cues in speech

Use of Lei and titles such as signore, dottore signals a formal or service exchange; tu, ciao, and first names signal informal talk between peers or friends.

Discourse markers

Allora, quindi, insomma, cioè, and praticamente organise spoken Italian; they announce a summary, a reformulation, or a shift in topic and help listeners follow structure.

Negation markers

Non, mica, affatto, and per niente negate or intensify negation. Missing them reverses the meaning of a heard statement, which is a common source of wrong answers.

Telephone formulas

Pronto, chi parla?, sono io, and si prega di attendere identify a phone call; recognising them tells you to expect names, messages, and requests to repeat.

Passato prossimo use

Use passato prossimo for completed actions with a clear result or single occurrence, often with time expressions such as ieri, due anni fa, or già.

Imperfetto use

Use imperfetto for habitual actions, descriptions, ages, weather, and ongoing background in the past, often with da bambino, sempre, or mentre.

Auxiliary essere

Most intransitive motion and change-of-state verbs, all reflexive verbs, and verbs like piacere take essere; the past participle then agrees with the subject in gender and number.

Congiuntivo triggers

Constructions expressing opinion, doubt, emotion, or impersonal necessity - penso che, è possibile che, benché, affinché - require the subjunctive when the dependent clause has its own subject.

Unreal condition pattern

Hypothetical conditions use congiuntivo imperfetto or trapassato after se, with condizionale presente or passato in the main clause: se avessi tempo, verrei.

Pronoun ne

Ne replaces a partitive phrase or a quantity: Quanti libri hai? Ne ho tre. It also replaces a phrase introduced by di, as in ne parliamo.

Pronoun ci

Ci replaces a place or a phrase with a or in: Vai a Roma? Ci vado domani. It also appears in idiomatic verbs such as volerci and farcela.

Italian false friends

Eventualmente means possibly, attualmente means currently, fattoria means farm, and morbido means soft; these differ sharply from the similar English words.

Formal email frame

A formal Italian email opens with Gentile Signora or Gentile Dottore, uses Lei verb forms, and closes with Cordiali saluti or Distinti saluti before the signature.

Informal email frame

An informal message opens with Ciao or Caro/Cara plus first name, uses tu forms, and closes with A presto, Un abbraccio, or A domani.

Written cohesion

Sequencers such as innanzitutto, inoltre, d'altra parte, di conseguenza, and infine mark logical steps, making a short composition read as organised argument rather than a list.

Accents that change meaning

È is the verb is while e means and; sì means yes while si is reflexive; perché means why or because. Omitting the accent is a graded spelling error.

Mandatory elision

Articles and prepositions elide before a vowel: un'ora, quest'anno, l'amico, d'accordo. The apostrophe marks the dropped vowel and is required in writing.

Narrative tense control

Set background with imperfetto, foreground completed events with passato prossimo, and reserve presente or futuro for opinions, plans, and general truths in the same text.

Negotiating a task

In paired speaking, state a proposal, give one supporting reason, then invite the partner's view with a question such as Che ne pensi? before moving to the next point.

Asking for repetition

Useful repair phrases include Può ripetere più lentamente?, Non ho capito, and Cosa significa?; they keep the interaction going instead of ending it in silence.

Register consistency

Choose tu or Lei at the first exchange and maintain it. Mixing forms, such as Lei with a first name and ciao, sounds inconsistent to an examiner.

Agreeing and disagreeing

Sono d'accordo, però... softens disagreement; Non direi, invece... states it directly; Da un lato... dall'altro... presents a balanced two-sided position.

Describing an image

Describe in layers: location and people first, then the action in progress with stare plus gerund, then a personal comment or a reasonable inference about the scene.

Word stress patterns

Most Italian words stress the penultimate syllable; final-accented words such as città, università, and perché are stressed on the last syllable and must be written with the accent.