An overview of verbs, Enjoy Italian

Question 1

Verb tenses overview

Enjoy Italian

Answer 1

Memory tip 1. You may be able to improve your recall, by creating vivid and interesting visual scenes in your mind that link the new information, to images that are already in your long term memory.

For card 6, you may want to remember the anchor words, Fact, Desire, Order, Would and Choice of Mood. You could link each of these words to a scene or scenes that you create at already known points of interest as you walk into a room of your house. There may be a scene on each corner of your desk, one on the desklamp etc.

Question 2

What is a verb?

Answer 2

A verb is a word that denotes;

• an action,
• an occurrence or
• a state of existence.

Question 3

What are the 3 families of Italian verbs?

Answer 3

The three families of verbs in Italian are;

• verbs ending in -are, known as 1st conjugation
• verbs ending in -ere, known as 2nd conjugation
• verbs ending in -ire, known as 3rd conjugation

Question 4

What is the origin of the -are, -ere and -ire ending verbs?

Answer 4

The three families of verbs; -are, -ere and -ire, come

from the Latin language.

Question 5

What is a Romance language and how is this related to Latin?

Answer 5

• Latin was the language of Rome and of the ancient Romans.
• The languages that developed throughout the reaches of the Roman empire, were to a significant extent, based on Latin.
• It is thought by some academics, including Milton Mariano Azevedo of the University of California, that the word Romance is derived from the word Romanice, meaning “in the Roman manner.”
• Four of the most widely used Romance languages today are; Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and French.

Question 6

What are verb tenses?

Answer 6

Verb tenses indicate when in time, the sentence takes place. Verbs tenses can indicate that the sentence is;

• in the past,
• in the distant past,
• in the present,
• in the future,
• at a point in time
• or continuously.
• Verb tenses can also express something that happens, before a second event occurs.

Question 7

What is a mood in Italian language?

Answer 7

A mood is an aspect of verbs that helps you to convey your intentions.

• Are you talking about a fact, or
• are you expressing a wish or a desire?
• Are you intending that your words are carried out as an order, or
• are you expressing an action that you, we, or others “would” do.
• In Italian, your intentions can be made clearer with your choice of mood.

Question 8

In this deck of flashcards we have presented a summarised overview of Italian verb tenses and moods.

Review the flipside of this card for a suggested sequence for learning Italian verbs.

Answer 8

​Suggested sequence for learning Italian verb tenses;

• Using this deck of flashcards, familiarise yourself with the overall framework of Italian verb tenses.
• At the same time, familiarise yourself with the grammatical terms used in relation to verb tenses.
• Depending on whether you are a beginner or intermediate learner, review cards 8. and 9. for a suggestion on which verb tenses to focus on.
• Review the flashcard deck “Italian verbs…”
• Review the Italian “Verb in depth … “ series of flashcards.

Question 9

A suggested sequence for beginner learners to use in learning verb tenses.

Question 10

A suggested sequence for intermediate learners to use in learning verb tenses.

Question 11

*** What are 9 moods found in italian language?

Answer 11

• Of the 9 moods, the 4 most prominent are;
• the indicative mood,
• the imperative mood,
• the subjunctive mood and
• the conditional mood.
• There are also 3 infinite moods and the continuous moods,
• the infinitive,
• the participle scroll down …
• gerund
• present and past continuous

Question 12

When is l’indicativo mood used?

Answer 12

l’indicativo - the indicative mood

• You can use the indicative mood to express facts.
• Of the various moods, the indicative mood is the most frequently used in Italian.

Question 13

When is the imperative mood used?

Answer 13

The imperative mood can be used when you want to;

• issue commands,
• offer advice,
• make suggestions,
• encourage
• exhort or
• harangue.

Question 14

When is the subjunctive mood used?

Answer 14

You can use the subjunctive mood to;

• express possibility,
• convey hope,
• express feelings and
• express wishes.
• It is almost always preceded by the word “che.”

Question 15

When is il condizionale mood used?

Answer 15

Il condizionale - the conditional mood

You can use the conditional mood to;

• convey the intention of “would,”
• make a polite request; for example, “Vorrei un calice di Lagrein per favore.” I would like a glass of Lagrein wine please.
• Or, you can use the conditional mood in an “If” clause; “If I could …. I would …..”

Question 16

What are the indefinite moods?

Answer 16

*** Three moods in Italian which are referred to as being indefinite are;

• gerund,
• infinitive and
• participle.
• They are indefinite because, they do not convey the subject to the listener, that is, they do not convey who is performing the verb.
• These three indefinite moods remain unconjugated.

Question 17

What Italian tenses are used with l’indicativo mood?

Answer 17

• These are the Italian tenses that use the indicative mood
• il presente indicativo the present indicative
• il passato prossimo the past perfect
• l’imperfetto the imperfect
• il trapassato prossimo the past perfect
• il passato remoto the absolute past
• il trapassato remoto the absolute perfect
• il futuro semplice the future
• il futuro anteriore the future perfect

Question 18

What Italian tenses are used with the imperative mood?

Answer 18

You can use the imperative mood with the imperative tense.

The imperative is always in the present.

Italian tense name English tense name

L’imperativo the imperative

Question 19

What Italian tenses are used with the subjunctive mood?

Answer 19

You can use the subjunctive mood with four tenses.

Italian tense name English tense name

• il congiuntivo presente the present subjunctive
• il congiuntivo imperfetto the imperfect subjunctive
• il congiuntivo passato the past subjunctive
• il congiuntivo trapassato the pluperfect subjunctive

Question 20

What Italian tenses are used with the conditional mood?

Answer 20

You can use the conditional mood with two tenses;

Italian tense name English tense name

• il condizionale presente present conditional
• il condizionale passato past conditional

Question 21

*** Which Italian tenses are used with the indefinite moods?

Answer 21

Italian tense name English tense name

• l’Infinito presente the present infinitive
• l’Infinito passato the past infinitive
• il gerundio presente the present gerund
• il gerundio passato the past gerund
• the present continuous ****
• the past continuous

Question 22

On a timeline, where do, i verbi al presente appear?

Answer 22

Timeline: the present tense

1.

<———————————-|———————————->

< < < past now future > > >

1. presente - present tense. These verbs occur at the “now” position on the timeline.

Question 23

On a timeline, where do the four subjunctive tenses appear?

Answer 23

1. 2. 3. 4. Timeline: The subjunctive tenses

~~~~~~

<————–|—–|————|———————————->

< < < past now future > > >

• 1. congiuntivo trapassato - subjunctive pluperfect
• 2. congiuntivo passato - subjunctive past
• 3. congiuntivo imperfetto - subjunctive imperfect
• 4. congiuntivo presente - subjunctive present

Question 24

On a timeline, where do the two conditional tenses appear?

Answer 24

Timeline: Conditional tenses

1. 2.

<—————–|—————–|———————————->

< < < past now future > > >

condizionale passato - past conditional

condizionale presente - present conditional

Question 25

On a timeline, where does l’imperativo tense appear?

Answer 25

Timeline: L’imperativo

1.

<———————————-|———————————->

< < < past now future > > >

1. L’imperativo - the imperative tense, it occurs now, in the present.

Question 26

On a timeline, where do the two past remote tenses appear?

Answer 26

Timeline: Past remote tenses

1. 2.

<—-|———|———————|——————————->

< < < past now future > > >

1. trapassato remoto - past absolute
2. passato remoto - past remote

Question 27

On a timeline, where does the imperfetto tense appear?

Answer 27

Timeline: Imperfect tense

1.

~~~~~~~~

<———————————-|———————————->

< < < past now future > > >

1. L’imperfetto - the imperfect tense. Notice that it is not a single moment in time.

Question 28

On a timeline, where do the gerund and past gerund tenses appear?

Answer 28

Timeline: Past gerund and gerund

1. 2.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

<———————————-|———————————->

< < < past now future > > >

1. past gerund, notice that the gerund tenses are not one point in time.
2. gerund

Question 29

On a timeline, where do the two future tenses appear?

Answer 29

Timeline: future tenses

1. 2.

<———————————-|———–|———|————->

< < < past now future > > >

1. Futuro anteriore - Future perfect tense, it is a future event that occurs before a second future event.
2. Futuro semplice - Future tense

Question 30

On a timeline, where do the infinitive and past infinitive tenses appear?

Answer 30

Timeline: the infinitive tense

1. 2.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

<———————————-|———————————->

< < < past now future > > >

1. l’infinitivo passato - The past infinitive tense
2. l’infinitivo - The present infinitive. Not at a single point in time.

Question 31

On a timeline, where do the continuous and past continuous tenses appear?

Answer 31

Timeline: past continuous and present continuous tenses

1. 2.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

<———————————-|———————————->

< < < past now future > > >

1. continuo passato - past continuous
2. continuo presente - present continuous

Question 32

How do you determine the subject in a sentence?

Answer 32

You can usually find the subject at the start of the sentence.

You can identify it by asking yourself the question;

• who is the person or
• what is the thing

that is perfoming the action?

Question 33

How do you determine the direct object in a sentence?

Answer 33

You can find the direct object in a sentence by looking at the sentence and asking yourself the question;

• who or
• what

was acted upon by the verb?

Question 34

How do you determine the indirect object in a sentence?

Answer 34

You can identify the indirect object in a sentence by looking at the sentence and asking yourself the question;

• who or
• what
• was the recipient or beneficiary of the action.

Alternatively, you can ask yourself;

• to whom, for whom or for what is the action directed?

Question 35

Review this sentence;

“Zia cooked the lunch for us.”

Can you identify the subject, direct object and indirect object?

Answer 35

“Zia cooked the lunch for our us.”

• Zia is the subject.
• The lunch is the direct object and
• “us” us the indirect object.

Question 36

What does it mean to conjugate a verb?

Answer 36

To conjugate a verb is to give the different forms of the verb, as they vary, according to;

• voice,
• mood,
• tense,
• number and
• person.

Question 37

What are pronouns?

Answer 37

• Pronouns are words that can be used to replace one or more nouns.

Question 38

What type of pronouns are used when conjugating verbs?

Answer 38

• Subject pronouns are used when conjugating verbs.

Question 39

What are the frequently used subject pronouns in Italian?

Answer 39

The frequently used subject pronouns in Italian

• io I
• tu you
• lui / lei / Lei he / she / you formal
• noi we
• voi you (plural)
• loro / Loro they / you formal plural

Question 40

Is the subject pronoun always used in front of the verb?

Answer 40

Subject pronouns do not always have to be included before the verb.

• It is OK to always use them, although in conversation, it can become repetitive.
• The verb conjugations themselves, also indicate who is carrying out the action.

However, there are times when it is definitely better to include them;

• when you want to add emphasis to the subject in a sentence and
• when the verb is being modified by the word “anche.” (also)

Question 41

What are the “classic” and infrequently used subject pronouns used with verbs?

Answer 41

The “classic” Italian subject pronouns include;

• Pronoun Gender Meaning Refers to
• egli masculine he people
• ella feminine she people
• esso masculine he, it people*, animals, things
• essa feminine he, it people, animals, things
• essi masculine they people, animals, things
• esse feminine they people, animals, things
• * some text books state that esso can only be used for animals & things and not people.

Question 42

What subject pronouns, to a significant extent, are substitutes for the “classic” pronouns?

Answer 42

The “classic” Italian subject pronouns include;

Pronoun Gender Meaning often substituted

• egli masculine he lui
• ella feminine she lei
• esso masculine he, it lui
• essa feminine he, it lei
• essi masculine they loro
• esse feminine they loro

Question 43

In relation to verbs, what does 1st person 2nd person and 3rd person mean?

Answer 43

1st person 2nd person and 3rd person in Italian verbs

• ioI 1st person: referring to oneself
• tu you 2nd person: addressing somebody directly
• lui/lei/Lei he/she/you 3rd p: referring to someone else
• noiwe 1st p plural: refrg. to a group incldng. yrself.
• voiyou 2nd person pl. addrssg. group of people
• lorothey 3rd p plural: refrng to a group of people

Question 44

How do we conjugate the verb “to speak” in English in the present tense?

Answer 44

to speak

• I speak
• you speak
• he / she / it speaks
• we speak
• you speak (plural)
• they speak

Question 45

Conjugate the verb “to speak” in Italian in the presente indicativo.

Answer 45

Parlare - to speak

presente indicativo - present indicative tense

• io parlo I speak
• tu parli you speak
• lui / lei / Lei parla he / she / you formal speaks
• noi parliamo we speak
• voi parlate you speak (plural)
• loro / Loro parlano they / you formal plural speaks

Question 46

What are the regular verb endings for -are, -ere and -ire verbs in the presente indicativo tense?

Answer 46

The regular verb endings for -are, -ere and -ire verbs in the presente indicativo tense.

-are -ere -ire

• io -o -o -o
• tu -i -i -i
• lui / lei -a -e -e
• noi -iamo -iamo -iamo
• voi -ate -ete -ite
• loro -ano -ono -ono

Question 47

What are the -isco ending verbs?

Answer 47

The -isco ending verbs are part of the -ire verb family. They have their own verb endings.

A example of a frequently used -isco verb is finire - to finish.

• io finisco
• tu finisci
• lui / lei finisce
• noi finiamo
• finite
• finiscono

Other examples of -isco verbs are capire - to understand, preferire - to prefer, costruire - to build.

Question 48

What are some examples of frequently used irregular verbs?

Answer 48

Examples of frequently used irregular Italian verbs.

• essere - to be
• avere - to have
• andare - to go
• fare - to do or make
• volere - to want to
• potere - to be able to
• dovere - to have to
• aprire - to open

Question 49

What is a compound tense?

Answer 49

In Italian, compound tenses are verb tenses that consist of two verbs, the auxialliary verb and the main verb.

As an example, in the passato prossimo tense, the auxilliary, or helping verb, is in the present tense and the main verb is in past participle form. The auxilliary verb is always either;

• essere - to be or
• avere - to have

If the main verb is parlare - to talk, then using the passato prossimo tense, we can say;

io ho parlato - I talked

Question 50

List the simple tenses in Italian.

Answer 50

The simple tenses in Italian are:

• presente indicativo
• imperfetto
• passato remoto
• futuro
• congiuntivo presente
• congiuntivo imperfetto
• condizionale presente

Question 51

List the compound tenses in Italian.

Answer 51

The compound tenses in Italian are;

• passato prossimo
• trapassato prossimo
• trapassato remoto
• futuro anteriore
• congiuntivo passato
• congiuntivo trapassato
• condizionale passato
• past infinitive
• past gerund

Question 52

What is the past participle in Italian and what is its main use?

Answer 52

The past participle is;

• a verb mood without a subject.
• It is formed by dropping the infinitive endings; -are, -ere and -ire and adding -ato, uto and ito.
• The most prominent role of the past participle is when it is used together with either essere or avere, to form compound tenses.

Question 53

What are the other roles of the past participle?

Answer 53

In addition to being used in compound tenses, you can also use past participles;

• as a noun,
• as an adjective or
• as an anchor to secondary clauses.

Question 54

What is an auxiliary verb?

Answer 54

In Italian, the compound tenses have need of an auxiliary verb, which is always either essere - to be, or avere - to have. Together, the past participle of the main verb and the conjugated auxiliary verb, form a variety of compound tenses.

If the auxilliary verb is essere, there are rules around applying different endings to the past participle, depending on the gender and number of the subject.

Question 55

Why are some verbs intransitive?

Answer 55

Intransitive verbs are either intransitive because they are verbs of movement, or because they describe a state of being.

Examples of verbs of being intrasitive because they are verbs of movement;

• andare,
• partire,
• uscire.

Examples of verbs of being intrasitive because they describe a state of being;

• nascere - to be born
• cambiare - to change
• diventare - to become

Question 56

How do we decide on whether to use essere or avere as the auxilliary verb.

Answer 56

When forming a compound tense, how do you choose between essere and avere as the auxiliary verb?

Verbs that take essere as an auxiliary verb

• reflexive verbs
• reciprocal verbs
• intransitive verbs including most verbs of movement
• intransitive verbs related to a state of being
• pronomial verbs
• verbs in impersonal mode
• where the verb does not involve actions that move from the subject directly to the object and makes use of prepositions such as per, da, di, da.
• In a sentence, after reading the conjugated verb, ask “how”, “where”, “when,” does the rest of the sentence answer one or more of these questions?

Verbs that take avere as an auxiliary verb

• where the verb involves actions that move from the subject directly to the object, without making use of prepositions such as per, da, di, a
• ask “what” or “who”

Question 57

What are reflexive verbs?

Answer 57

Reflexive verbs have the subject, as the object, and therefore are primarily involved with actions done to oneself.

To express this, the main verb is conjugated in the normal way and is combined with the appropriate reflexive pronoun; mi, ti, si, ci vi, si.

• Examples of frequently used reflexive verbs include;
• sveliarsi - to wake oneself up
• lavarsi - to wash oneself
• sedersi - to sit oneself down
• pettinarsi - to comb one’s hair

Question 58

What are reciprocal verbs?

Answer 58

You can use reciprocal reflexive verbs where there are actions are taken by two people, towards each other and the actions mirror each other.

Examples include;

• conoscersi - to know each other,
• amarsi - to love each other and
• abbracciarsi - to hug each other

Reciprocal verbs function in the same fashion as reflexive verbs.

Question 59

What is passive voice in Italian?

Answer 59

In Italian, passive voice is a reversal of the subject and object within the sentence.

Depending on the effect that you are seeking;

• you can use the passive voice to either place more emphasis on the subject or
• you can use it to place more emphasis on the action itself.

There are methods and auxilliary verb structures that you can employ to use the passive voice across a range of tenses in Italian.

Question 60

What are modal verbs?

Answer 60

Modal verbs are helper, or servile verbs, that add meaning and context to the main verb.

Modal verbs are used frequently in Italian language.

3 common modal verbs include;

potere - to be able to

dovere - to must, to have to, to ought to

volere - to want to

Question 61

What is a pronomial verb in Italian?

Answer 61

In Italian, a pronominal verb (verbo pronominale) is a verb that incorporates one or two pronominal particles that alter or refine the verb’s original meaning.

Question 62

What are the pronomial particles?

Answer 62

Pronomial particles are small words that refer to something that we are already talking about. Their meaning is inferred by the context of the conversation. They combine with verbs to form pronomial verbs.

examples:

Andarci to go there Andiamoci! Let’s go there

Farcela to make it Ce la facciamo We can make it

Sentircisito to feel at ease mi ci sento bene I feel good

Question 63

List four pronomial particles.

Answer 63

• Si: for oneself, for one another. if there are two particles and si is th first of them, si becomes se.
• Ci: it takes on the inferred meaning of; about a place, in a place or a place, .
• Ne: a pronoun that has an inferred meaning from the sentence in the context of from something, about something or of something.
• La and le: la - singular, le - plural, taking on a referred meaning from the direct object in the sentence.

Question 64

Next steps

For more detailed explanations on each verb tense, including, practical steps on how you can form them, follow this link to more flashcards …

For practical examples of all tenses in all conjugations, for a selection of popular verbs, follow this link to more flashcards …

Answer 64

Thank you for learning with Enjoy Italian.

Grazie!