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Easy ItalianSTEP-BY-STEPMaster High-Frequency Grammarfor Italian Proficiency—FAST!Paola Nanni-TateNew York Chicago San Francisco Lisbon London Madrid Mexico CityMilan New Delhi San Juan Seoul Singapore Sydney Toronto

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ContentsPrefacexiGuide to PronunciationIxiiiElements of a Sentence1 Nouns, Articles, and Descriptive AdjectivesThe Gender of Nouns 3Singular Nouns 3Plural Nouns 6The Indefinite Article 9The Definite Article 11Other Uses of the Definite ArticleDescriptive Adjectives 17Singular Form of Adjectives 17Key Vocabulary 18Colori (Colors) 18Aggettivi (Adjectives) 18Plural Form of Adjectives 19Positioning of Adjectives 21132 Subject Pronouns, stare, and essereSubject Pronoun Basics 25Stare Versus essere 26Stare (to be; to stay) 26Key Vocabulary 28Parole interrogative (Interrogative Words) 28Avverbi di luogo (Adverbs of Location) 28Aggettivi (Adjectives) 28Essere (to be) 29Reading Comprehension La casa 35iii253

ivContents3 C ’è and ci sono, Interrogative Words,and the Calendar 38C’è (There Is) and ci sono (There Are) 38Ecco 39Interrogative Words 42Prepositions 46Calendario (Calendar) 47I giorni della settimana (Days of the Week) 47I mesi dell’anno (Months of the Year) 47Le stagioni (Seasons) 48Le parti del giorno (Parts of the Day) 48Reading Comprehension Una città italiana 51Key Vocabulary 53Nomi maschili (Masculine Nouns) 53Nomi femminili (Feminine Nouns) 53Aggettivi (Adjectives) 53Reading Comprehension Il cinema 564 Numbers, Time, and DatesCardinal Numbers 58Ordinal Numbers 61Special Uses of Ordinal Numbers 64The Date 65Telling Time 66Reading Comprehension Il ristorante 70Reading Comprehension Il lavoro casalingo5 Regular Verbs587174Uses of the Present Tense 74Asking Questions 74Negative Statements 75Using the Present to Express the Future 75-are Verbs 75Frequently Used -are Verbs 76The Preposition a 77-ere Verbs 78Frequently Used -ere Verbs 79-ire Verbs 80Frequently Used -ire Verbs 81Frequently Used -isc- Verbs 83-are and -ere Verbs with More than One Meaning 84Reading Comprehension Arturo e Carla 86

vContents6 Irregular Verbs88Irregular -are Verbs 88Fare (to do; to make) 89Stem Changes 91-ere Verbs 93Sentence Formation 93To Know: conoscere Versus sapere 94Avere (to have) 96-ire Verbs 99Apparire (to appear) 100Reading Comprehension La famiglia Marchetti7 Andare and the Future102104Andare (to go; to be going) 104The Future with andare a Infinitive 105The Future Tense of Regular Verbs 106Stem Changes in the Future Tense 107The Future Tense of Irregular Verbs 108Key Vocabulary 111-are Verbs 111Useful Words: che and per 112The Relative Pronoun che 112The Conjunction che 112The Preposition per 112Key Vocabulary 113Parti del corpo (Parts of the Body) 113Dentro al corpo (Inside the Body) 114La famiglia (The Family) 115Time Expressions 115Reading Comprehension L’appuntamento dal dentista8 Adjectives and Adverbs121Possessive Adjectives 121Definite Articles 123Demonstrative Adjectives 126Adjectives of Nationality 128Adjectives That Precede a Noun 130The Adjective bello 131Adjectives That Express Quantity 132Adjectives That Express Next, Only, and Last 133Comparative Adjectives 134More . . . than, or Comparative of Majority 134Less . . . than, or Comparative of Minority 135As . . . as, or Comparative of Equality 135119

viContentsSuperlative Adjectives 137Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives 138Adverbs 140Adverbs of Time 143Adverbs of Location 144Reading Comprehension Il cane e il gatto 1479 Negatives and Prepositions150Negatives and Negative Expressions 150More Negative Expressions 152Prepositions 154Prepositions Followed by Verbs or Nouns 155Prepositions Followed by Nouns or Pronouns 155Prepositions Followed by Pronouns 156The Many Meanings of the Preposition per 157Reading Comprehension Il treno 161Key Vocabulary 164Natura (Nature) 164Tempo (Weather) 164Reading Comprehension La visita 170IIObjects, Reflexive Verbs, and the PresentSubjunctive10 The Indirect Object174Piacere and the Indirect Object 174Mi piace and mi piacciono 174Ti piace and ti piacciono 176Le piace and le piacciono 177Gli piace and gli piacciono 177Ci piace and ci piacciono 178Vi piace and vi piacciono 178A loro piace and a loro piacciono 178Verbs like piacere 180Indirect Object Pronouns 185Position of the Indirect Object Pronoun 187Reading Comprehension Andare a fare spese 195Reading Comprehension La spiaggia 196

viiContents11 The Direct Object199Transitive Verbs and the Direct Object 199Direct Object Pronouns 201Position of the Direct Object Pronoun 202The Direct Object Pronoun as a Person 203The Direct Object Pronoun as a Thing 205Review Table of Indirect and Direct Object Pronouns 206Reading Comprehension Gli svaghi degli italiani 20912 Reflexive Verbs211Reflexive Pronouns 211Frequently Used Reflexive Verbs 212Reflexive Verbs Whose English Translations Do Not Include Oneself 212Position of the Reflexive Pronoun 213Reflexive Verbs with Parts of the Body and Clothing 214Reflexive Verbs That Express Emotion or Movement 215Reflexive Verbs Followed by a Preposition 216Review of Indirect and Direct Object Pronouns and Reflexive Pronouns 217Reflexive Verbs with Reciprocal Meanings 218Si and Impersonal Expressions 218Reading Comprehension Il saluto e l’educazione 219Reading Comprehension I mezzi di trasporto pubblici 22113 The Present Subjunctive223Formation of the Present Subjunctive 223-are Verbs 224-ere and -ire Verbs 225Irregular Verbs 227Verbs with Orthographic Changes 227Uses of the Present Subjunctive 228After Certain Impersonal Expressions 228After Certain Verbs 230After Certain Conjunctions 236In Certain Dependent Adjective Clauses 237After the Expression per quanto 238After benché 238After Compounds of -unque 238Reading Comprehension Lo sport in Italia 244

viiiIIIContentsThe Preterit, Present Perfect, andImperfect Tenses and Double ObjectPronouns14 The Preterit and the Present Perfect TensesFormation of the Preterit 248Regular -are Verbs 249Regular -ere Verbs 249Regular -ire Verbs 250Key Vocabulary 250Expressions Often Used with the Preterit 250Uses of the Preterit 251To Express an Action Completed in the Past 251To Express a Series of Completed Actions in the Past 252To Express an Action That Is No Longer in Effect 252Irregular Verbs 253The Present Perfect Tense 259Formation of the Present Perfect 259Present Perfect with avere 259Verbs with Irregular Past Participles 260Past Participle Agreement of Verbs Conjugatedwith avere in the Present Perfect 262Present Perfect with essere 263Verbs Conjugated with essere in the Present Perfect 264Additional Rules for Using essere in the Present Perfect 265Reading Comprehension La moda italiana 26715 The Imperfect Tense270Formation of the Imperfect 270Regular -are Verbs 270Regular -ere Verbs 271Regular -ire Verbs 272Irregular Verbs 272Uses of the Imperfect 274To Express a Narration, a Situation, or a Background in the Past 274To Express Repeated, Habitual Actions in the Past 274To Express a Description in the Past 275To Express a Continuous Action in the Past 275To Express Age, Time of Day, and Weather in the Past 275To Express Size, Color, and Personal Qualities in the Past 275To Express an Ongoing Action in the Past with the Preposition da 276248

ContentsPreterit, Present Perfect, and Imperfect Compared 277Volere, potere, sapere 278Double Object Pronouns 283Me lo, me la, me li, me le 283Te lo, te la, te li, te le 285Glielo, gliela, glieli, gliele 286Ce lo, ce la, ce li, ce le 288Ve lo, ve la, ve li, ve le 289Reflexive Pronouns with Direct Object Pronouns 291Reading Comprehension Il traffico in Italia 294Answer KeyIndex313297ix

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