Table of Contents

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How to use this book
Acknowledgements
Glossary

Unit 0 COMINCIAMO DA ZERO

Introduction
Alphabet
Spelling
Capital letters
Pronunciation and stress
Written accents
Using a dictionary
Using a grammar reference book

Unit 1 CIAO, MI CHIAMO

Functions
Greeting someone: buongiorno, buona sera, ciao, etc.
Meeting people, introducing oneself and others
Formal (Lei) or informal (tu) ‘you’
Indicating nationality
Asking for something, ordering food and drink

Grammar
Present tense of essere and chiamarsi
Nouns (singular)
Indefinite articles un, uno, una, un’
Subject pronouns io, tu, lui, lei, Lei, noi, voi, loro
Adjectives of nationality inglese, italiano (singular form only)

Unit 2 AMICI E FAMIGLIA

Functions
Describing or indicating someone or something
Talking about jobs and professions

Grammar
Nouns (singular and plural)
Definite article: il, lo, la, l’, i, gli, le
Adjectives (singular and plural)
Demonstratives: questo, quello
Possessives: mio, tuo, suo, nostro, vostro, loro
Present tense of regular verbs ending in –are
Present tense of irregular verbs avere, fare

Unit 3 IN VIAGGIO

Functions
Making travel arrangements
Making accommodation arrangements
Expressing notions of availability, time, place and cost

Grammar
C’è, ci sono
Numbers, prices
Time, days of week, dates
Expressions of frequency
Prepositions: a, con, da, di, fra, in, per, su, tra
Combined prepositions: al, dal, del, nel, sul
Present tense of regular verbs ending in -ere, -ire
Ci vuole, ci vogliono

Unit 4 FACCIAMO UN PO’ DI SHOPPING

Functions
Shopping for items, requesting
Describing or indicating something
Talking about availability
Talking about size, quantity, etc.
Describing someone or something by physical characteristics

Grammar
Indefinite adjectives: alcuni, dei/delle, qualche
Indefinite pronouns: qualcosa, qualcuno
Direct object pronouns: lo, la, li, le and ne
Weights, quantities, measures: un litro di, un chilo di, etc.
Invariable adjectives
Position of adjectives
Present tense irregular verbs: andare, dare, dire, fare, sapere, stare, uscire, venire

Unit 5 DONNE E LAVORO

Functions
Talking about the present
Talking about daily routines

Grammar
Present tense of reflexive verbs
Present tense of stare + gerund
Frequency
Interrogatives
Negatives
Expressions of time (present)

Unit 6 TUTTI A TAVOLA!

Functions
Expressing a desire, preference, need
Stating what you want
Stating a preference (for objects, persons, courses of action)
Expressing likes and dislikes.

Grammar
Indefinites: niente di buono, qualcosa da mangiare
Present tense of piacere
Present tense of preferire
Present tense of bisogna, aver bisogno di
Present tense modal verbs: dovere, potere, volere
Indirect object pronouns with impersonal verbs: mancare, occorrere, servire

Unit 7 TROVARE LA STRADA GIUSTA

Functions
Specifying place
Specifying manner
Explaining where to find something, how to get there, etc.
Giving an order

Grammar
Prepositions expressing place
Adverbs and prepositions of place
Ci (there, to there)
Imperative (order) forms
Adverbs

Unit 8 ANDIAMO IN VACANZA

Functions
Talking about events and actions in the past
Describing how things used to be

Grammar
Present perfect (passato prossimo): ho mangiato, sono andata
Direct object pronouns with passato prossimo: l’ho mangiata
Phrases expressing past time
Imperfect (imperfetto)
Combination of passato prossimo and imperfect

Unit 9 Studiare e lavorare in Italia

Functions
Talking about future plans
Expressing hopes, intentions
Expressing probability

Grammar
Future tense
Present tense used to express future
Future perfect tense
Verb and infinitive: spero di, penso di, ho intenzione di
Future and future perfect used to express probability

Unit 10 PRONTO? MI SENTI?

Functions
Asking permission
Asking about possibility
Asking about ability
Making a polite request

Grammar
Present tense: potere, sapere
Omission of potere in certain situations/contexts
Present conditional
Using conditional to express polite request

Unit 11 A CHE ORA CI VEDIAMO?

Functions
Specifying time:
     Time at which, time from which, time until when
Expressing repetition and frequency

Grammar
Clauses of time ‘until, when, since, before, after, during’
Prepositional phrases: prima di, dopo di, fino a, da
Conjunctions: prima che, dopo che, mentre, finché
Adverbs expressing time: appena, non appena

Unit 12 L'ITALIA MULTIETNICA

Functions
Making a comparison
Expressing greater or lesser extent
Expressing equality

Grammar
Comparative adjectives
Comparative adverbs
Terms of comparison: più, meno di/che, tanto quanto, così come

Unit 13 AAA AFFITTASI APPARTAMENTO

Functions
Focusing on the action
Explaining how something is done

Grammar
Si passivante: si affitta, si vende (affittasi, vendesi)
Prepositions expressing location
Centuries: in un palazzo del 500
Dates: il 1o settembre and phrases: per brevi periodi
Dimensions: metri quadri (m2), ettari

Unit 14 LA VITA ITALIANA

Functions
Reading Italian literary passages or newspaper articles
Reading more complex texts

Grammar
Conditional mood (condizionale)
Non-finite verb forms: infinitive, gerund, participle
Past historic (passato remoto)
Pluperfect (trapassato)

Unit 15 SCUOLA E UNIVERSITÀ

Functions
Expressing causes and reasons
Expressing result and effect

Grammar
Conjunctions
Forming complex sentences
Using gerund
Clauses, phrases and verbs of cause and reason
Clauses, phrases and verbs of result and effect

Unit 16 INNAMORARSI SU INTERNET

Functions
Expressing an opinion
Asking an opinion
Agreeing, disagreeing

Grammar
Introduction to the subjunctive
Present subjunctive
Verbs of opinion followed by che and subjunctive
Agreement essere d’accordo

Unit 17 GLI ITALIANI? PIZZA E MAFIA

Functions
Expressing belief, certainty, uncertainty
Expressing concession
Expressing exception and reservation
Expressing condition

Grammar
Subjunctive after sapere, non sapere, pensare, (non) è vero che
Clauses and phrases of concession
Clauses and phrases of exception and reservation Clauses and phrases of condition
Imperfect subjunctive

Unit 18 ANDIAMO AL CINEMA?

Functions
Expressing pleasure and satisfaction
Expressing regret, doubt, hope, fear
Expressing other emotions

Grammar
Subjunctive after verbs expressing emotion
Forms of perfect subjunctive
Use of perfect subjunctive

Unit 19 PUBBLICITÀ, PROMOZIONE E PRODOTTI

Functions
Expressing intention or purpose
Expressing results of action

Grammar
Conjunctions and phrases expressing purpose
Conjunctions and phrases expressing result
Subjunctive in purpose clauses

Unit 20 Immagini dell’Italia

Functions
Reading the press
Expressing certainty and uncertainty
Expressing conjecture, hearsay

Grammar
Conditional used to express hearsay
Passive: focus on action
Si impersonale: Si dice che...

Unit 21 POLITICA E SOCIETÀ

Functions
Relating or reporting a story or event
Relating or reporting a story or event in indirect speech
Asking indirect questions

Grammar
Direct speech
Indirect or reported speech
Sequence of tenses in reported speech
Quoting sources

Unit 22 L’ANGOLO DELLA POSTA

Functions
Giving an order or command
Requesting
Wanting someone to do something
Allowing someone to do something
Suggesting, advising

Grammar
Verbs of requiring, requesting and advising
     with verb infinitive
     with che and subjunctive
Verbs fare, lasciare and infinitive
Past conditional
Conditional sentences (periodo ipotetico):
     with imperfect subjunctive and present conditional
     with pluperfect subjunctive and past conditional

Answer Key
Vocabulary
Index