Functions and classification of Italian verbs
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Verbs are used to express actions or a state of being. They offer information on the subject either explaining what he/she does or his/her qualities.
Lesson outline
HideFunctions of the verbs in Italian
Italian verbs differ based on the following features:
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Predicative and copulative Italian verbs
Predicative verbs (verbi predicativi) carry lexical meaning. The majority of Italian verbs fall within this category.
Copulative verbs (verbi copulativi) carry meaning only if they connect the subject to an adjective or a name.
| Example | Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| Predicative |
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| Copulative |
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Italian verb forms
Verbs can be active, passive, reflexive and pronominal. When the subject performs the action, we talk about active form (forma attiva), while when the subject is acted upon by the verb, we talk about passive form (forma passiva). Reflexive verbs (verbi riflessivi) are verbs whose direct object and subject are the same. Pronominal verbs (verbi pronominali) are accompanied by a pronoun.
| Examples | Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| Active |
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| Passive |
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| Reflexive |
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| Pronominal |
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Italian moods and tenses
Mood indicates the attitude of the speaker. Italian moods are made up of are four finite moods (indicative, subjunctive, conditional and imperative) and three non - finite moods (infinitive, participle and gerund).
Tense refers to the chronological relationship between when the action takes place and the moment in which the utterance takes place. The Italian verb tenses are: present, past and future.
Examples:
- Ieri ho pulito la mia camera (Yesterday I cleaned my bedroom)
- Quest'estate andrò a Roma (I'm going to Rome this summer)
- Luisa parla tre lingue (Luisa speaks three languages)
Person and number in Italian
The person identifies who the subject of the utterance is. It can be 1st person (io, noi), 2nd person (tu, voi) or 3rd person (egli, essi).
Number refers to whether the subject is singular (io, tu, egli) or plural (noi, voi, essi).
Examples:
- Noi suoniamo la chiatarra (We play the guitar)
- Io sono Italiana (I am Italian)
- Essi guidano la macchina (They drive a car)
Now check what you've learned with our exercises!
Exercises
Choose whether the following statements are true or false
Solution
1. Copulative verbs carry lexical meaning
False
2. Guardare (to watch) and mangiare (to eat) are predicative verbs
True
3. The verb forms of Italian verbs are active, passive, reflexive and pronominal
True
4. When the subject performs the action we talk about passive form
False
5. The Italian language has got seven moods and three tenses
True
6. A subject is defined both by person and number
True
7. In Italian language there are three persons singular and two persons plural
False
8. The tenses of the Italian language are present, past and future
True
9. In reflexive verbs the subject and the direct object are not the same
False
10. Pronominal verbs are never accompanied by a pronoun
False
Exercises
Choose whether the following statements are true or false
Solution
1. Copulative verbs carry lexical meaning
False
2. Guardare (to watch) and mangiare (to eat) are predicative verbs
True
3. The verb forms of Italian verbs are active, passive, reflexive and pronominal
True
4. When the subject performs the action we talk about passive form
False
5. The Italian language has got seven moods and three tenses
True
6. A subject is defined both by person and number
True
7. In Italian language there are three persons singular and two persons plural
False
8. The tenses of the Italian language are present, past and future
True
9. In reflexive verbs the subject and the direct object are not the same
False
10. Pronominal verbs are never accompanied by a pronoun
False
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Hi everyone!
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I offer English and Indonesian language classes. My class is based on conversation practice. You will learn grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary through practice. You will learn in a safest way because I always want to make sure my students feel comfortable and safe during the class, so they are not afraid to make mistakes.
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Ni Nengah W.
Hello Everybody
My name is Luisa and I teach Italian for foreign students, English, French and German for Italian students
Since 1994, I have dedicated myself to translating and teaching thanks to my travels, abroad studies, foreign reading and writing. I provide fun and customized lessons based on the student's goals. I also triy to minimize English speaking during the lessons. I give homework exercises, and my lessons are intermixed with grammar, conversation, customs and traditions. My goal is to make certain that each student finds learning Italian exciting.
I am available for any explanations also via e mail
R. R.
Luisa is an outstanding teacher. She's knowledgable, patient and understands learning styles. I highly recommend her!
Thank you so much for your kind words! I truly appreciate it. I love helping you learn in ways that work best for you :-))
Let's talk in Spanish!
L. S.
Maria is a well-structured teacher that is fluent in both russian and spanish. I recommend her to anyone!
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
María J.
Hi, guys! My name is Lucia and I would like to invite you to learn Italian with me.
I am both a native speaker and a QUALIFIED teacher, as I hold a post-graduate degree in “Teaching Italian as a second language” and a national certification as teacher of Italian to not-native speaking.
My teaching method is COMMUNICATION-oriented and involves also the study of Italian culture and grammar. Indeed, as it happens in your mother language, the knowledge of spare words is not enough to get able to speak (i.e. INTERACT!) properly and conveniently.
I’ll prepare for you all teaching materials, tailoring lessons to your needs and interests, taking advantage from both the huge number of textbooks I hold and my creativity!
I offer lessons for all levels, from absolute beginners to advanced, as well as support in preparation to certification exams (I am also qualified ad examiner for the oral part of CELI).
Do not hesitate to get in contact with me to find a suitable time-slot for your trial lesson!
M. H.
Lucia is wonderful! She speaks clearly, is encouraging and engaging. The material she provides is relevant and makes learning fun!
Lucia P.