Verb tenses Flashcards
SEE CLAUDIO QUESTIONS AND ADD EXAMPLES.
These are for “I am [verb]ing…” and “I have been [verb]ing.
My wife and I went to the store.
Mia moglie ed io siamo andati al negozio. (essere p.p. requires agreement)
We pay someone to cut the lawn.
Paghiamo qualcuno per tagliare il prato. (2nd singular and 1st plural need “h”)
You cooked a good dinner
Hai cotto una buona cena.
I turned off the lights before I went to bed.
see what Claudio says
I added “complaining” to the list of things that annoyed me.
Ho aggiunto “lamentarsi” nell’elenco di cose che mi hanno infastidito.
We lost the keys to the house.
Abbiamo perso le chiavi della casa.
He cried when you told him that he could not go to the party.
Ha pianto quando gli ha detto che non poteva andare al partito. (This is the Google Translate answer, but because it is asking “when”, I think you can use “piangeva” instead of “ha pianto”) New Note: I think this is wrong. Should be “potrebbe.” When I put “I could not go to the party” in Google translate, it uses conditional (which I think is correct) but when I put in “he could not go…” it changes the “potere” to imperfect tense.
Asking Claudio
They laughed when we asked if we could borrow their car.
Ridevano quando abbiamo chiesto se potevamo prendere in prestito la loro macchina.
I am asking Claudio why it is “potevamo” instead of “potremmo”
The audience laughed at the joke
Il pubblico ha riso che allo scherzo.
I lived in California for four years.
Sono vissuto in California per quattro anni.
I wrote her two emails, but she never responded.
Le ho scritta due email, ma non ha mai riposto.
I took the money because I needed it.
Ho preso i soldi perché li avevo bisogno di questo. (note: I am asking Claudio about this one)
I met them last year in Florence.
Li ho conosciuti lo scorso anno a Firenze.
We decided to go on vacation in Roma.
Abbiamo deciso di andare in vacanza a Roma.
All ‘ARE verbs have a regular past participle EXCEPT…
Fare (fatto)
She almost died when I told her that her dress was torn
È quasi morta quando le ha detta che il suo vestito era strappato. (morire)
They came to the game and enjoyed watching the kids play.
Sono venuti alla partita e si sono divertiti guardando i ragazzi giocano.
My pen was just here, but it disappeared!
La mia penna era qui, ma l’ha scomparso. (scomparire)
MOST ‘IRE verbs have a regular past participle. 7 common ones that don’t and their past participle.
morire - morto dire - detto venire - venuto scomparire - scomparso (disappear) aprire - aperto offrire - offerto
When we opened the door, we found our dogs waiting for us.
Quando abbiamo aperto la porta, abbiamo trovato i nostri cani aspettandoci. (or aspettando per noi)
I offered to pay, but the nice man would not let me.
Ho offerto di pagare, ma l’uomo bello non mi ha lasciato.
Asking Claudio
Verbs that end in ‘DURRE, have ——— past participle.
Example: She translated the letter from Italian to English
‘DOTTO.
Ha tradotto la lettera dall’italiano all’inglese. (tradurre)
Verbs that end in ‘ARRE, have ——— past participle.
Example: She attracted people like a magnet.
‘ATTO
Ha attratto persone come un magnete. (attrarre)
Verbs that end in ‘ORRE, have ——— past participle.
Example: Vivaldi composed many beautiful operas.
‘OSTO
Vivaldi ha composto molte belle opere. (comporre)
Verbs that end in ‘ENDERE, have ——— past participle.
Example: We took all of the cookies on the plate.
‘ESO
Abbiamo preso tutti i biscotti sul piatto. (prendere)
Verbs that end in ‘EGGERE, have ——— past participle.
Example: Yesterday, they read in the newspaper that the museum would be closed today.
‘ETTO
Ieri, hanno letto sul giornale che il museo sarebbe stato chiuso oggi. (leggere)
Asking Claudio
Verbs that end in ‘IDERE, have ——— past participle.
Example: Why did you laugh when I asked you to marry me?
‘ISO
Perché hai riso quando ti ho chiesto di sposarmi? (ridere) (also irregular p.p. for chiedere)
Verbs that end in ‘UDERE, have ——— past participle.
Example: You closed the door on my hand!
‘USO
Hai chiuso la porta sulla mia mano! (chiudere)
My grandmother and grandfather were born in Tusa.
Mia nonna e nonno sono nati a Tusa. (nascere)
The women arrived three hours late.
Le donne sono arrivate tre ore in ritardo.
I went to the concert alone.
Sono andato al concerto da sola.
You and grandpa became American citizens.
Tu e il nonno siete diventati cittadini americani. (could also have used imperfect - diventavate)
They returned home in time for supper.
Sono ritornati a casa in tempo per la cena.
We know what time they open the shops.
Sappiamo a che ora aprono i negozi.
Do you (plural) know how many students are in this classe.
Sapete quanti studenti ci sono in questa classe?
We do not know your friend.
Non conosciamo il tuo amico.
Do you (plural) know a good tennis coach?
Conoscete un buon allenatore di tennis?
You have to make a reservation.
Devi fare un prenotazione.
Claudio is so smart, he doesn’t have to study.
Claudio è così intelligente che non deve studiare.
Do we have to wait for Maria?
Dobbiamo aspettare Maria?
What are the 4 verbs to leave? Note the differences in usage in the sentences that follow.
Lasciare - to leave something behind
Partire - to leave in the sense of departing or going a trip
Uscire - to go out from a place or with someone, to leave the house/home (idiomatic)
Andare via - to need to go
Gina wants to leave the door open.
Gina vuole lasciare la porta aperta.
Our plane is leaving from Rome.
Il nostro aereo parte da Roma. (“da” follows partire to form “leaving from”, which is why it used here instead of “a”)
Next week, I leave for Rome.
La prossima settimana parto per Roma. (“per” follows partire to form “leaving for”, which is why it used here instead of “a”. Future tense could be used but not necessary)
What time do you leave for school.
Che ora esci da scuola? (when “uscire” is used to refer to leaving a PLACE, “da” follows.
It’s late, I must leave!
È tardi, devo andare via!
I leave home very early to go to work.
Esco di casa molto presto per andare al lavoro. (“uscire di casa” is an idiomatic expression for “to leave the house.”
3 Additional ways to use the imperative:
- Infinitives are used to give instructions, recipes, notices, etc.
- È vietato + infinitive - to indicate something is forbidden
- Divieto + noun - another way to stay something is not allowed
Preheat the oven!
Scaldare il forno!
Parking is forbidden!
È vietato parcheggiare!
Stopping not allowed!
No passing!
Divieto di sosta!
Divieto di sorpasso!
We have to wake up early.
Ci dobbiamo svegliare presto. OR Dobbiamo svegliarci presto.
You get up too late on Saturdays. Get up earlier!
Ti alzi troppo tardi il sabato. Alzarti più presto! (2nd usage has attached b/c imperative)
He wants to take a shower every morning.
Si vuole fare la doccia tutte le mattine. OR Vuole farsi la doccia tutte le mattine.
You (plural) have to wash your hands often.
Vi dovete lavare spesso le mani. OR Dovete lavarvi spesso le mani.
When to use Imperfect vs. Passato Prossimo (present perfect)
Passato Prossimo is used to express an action that was started and completed in the recent past.
Imperfect is used to express continuity or actions in the past that are customary or habitual. It is used with a past action without any reference to the exact time an action started or ended. Other uses of Imperfect include:
- Used to describe the qualities of people or things in the past
- Time of day, age, and weather in the past
- Imperfect + da is used to create the English “pluperfect” tense (“had” or “had been” + verb)
Hints to imperfect use are expressions that convey continuity, (e.g. “usually”, “every day” “when” “on Sundays” [as opposed a specific Sunday], “while”)
Imperfect corresponds to the English expressions formed by:
- used to + the infinitive - She used to live in New York
- was/were + the gerund - They were living in Italy
- would + infinitive - He would go to the library every day.
(translate examples to Italian)
Give the rule for creating imperfect tense
One irregular verb + 5 verbs with different stems
3 Translations:
- Viveva a New York. (abitava could also be used)
- Vivevano in Italia. (abitavano could also be used)
- Andava in biblioteca ogni giorno.
All verbs:
- Drop ‘RE
- Add endings below
vo vamo
vi vate
va vano
Essere is irregular
ero eravamo
eri eravate
era eravano
5 verbs with different stems
fare - face dire - dice bere - beve produrre - produce porre - pon (to place)
My friend always used to come late to the Italian lesson
Il mio amico veniva sempre tardi alle lezione di italiano
When we lived in Italy, we always went to the mountains.
Quando abitavamo in Italia, andavamo sempre in montagne.
I was speaking and my brother was studying.
Parlavo e mio fratello studiava.
Your grandmother was very intelligent.
Tua nonna era molto intelligente.
The streets were covered in snow
Le strade erano coperte di neve.
What time was it?
Che ore erano?
The weather was good.
Il tempo era buono.
It was 1 o’clock and it was raining.
Era l’uno e pioveva.
It had been snowing for a week.
Nevicava da una settimana. (“da” creates the “had” or “had been” pluperfect)
We had not gone out for three days.
Non uscivamo da tre giorni. (“da” creates the “had” or “had been” pluperfect)
The boys often went to the library.
I ragazzi andavano spesso in biblioteca
You were tired.
(Tu) eri stanco.
Yes, we read good books in class.
Sì, leggevamo dei bei libri in classe.
I liked playing soccer.
Mi piaceva giocare a calcio.
The present conditional
Usually means “would [present tense verb]”. Can also be used for indirect speech or uncertainty (“could”), or to express a preference (“should”)
What are the rules and the endings?
Verbs regular in what tense are also regular in present conditional?
Present conditional is formed by:
- Drop last “E”**
- Add endings below
ei emmo
esti este
ebbe ebbero
***for ‘ARE verbs, the “A” is first changed to an “E” the same as future. If a verb is regular in future it will be regular in conditional.
It would be a good idea, but I don’t know if we can make it.
Sarebbe un buona idea, ma non so se possiamo farlo.
Would you do me a big favor?
Mi faresti un grosso favore?
He should call his mother.
Lui dovrebbe chiamare sua madre.
He was asking himself when he could see her again.
Si chiedeva quando potrebbe rivederla.
According to him that man could be a thief.
Secondo lui, quell’uomo potrebbe essere un ladro.
My friend and I would like to study Italian in Italy this summer.
Quest’estate io e la mia amica vorremmo studiare l’italiano in Italia.
We would like to go to the movies
Vorremmo andare al cinema.
As far as I’m concerned, it would be better to sleep.
Secondo me, sarebbe meglio dormire.
Would you be happy to come home?
Saresti contento di venire a casa.
Wouldn’t you be tired? (to a group)
Non sareste stanchi?
Where should we send the payment for the courses?
Dové potremmo mandare il pagamento per i corsi?
Would we need a special permit to stay in Italy?
Avremmo bisogno di un permesso speciale per stare in Italia?
