Beth Bartolini-Salimbeni 
Italian Grammar For Dummies 

Master the written aspects of Italian? Easy.

Grammar is one of the most difficult aspects to master when learning a language. The various parts of speech, verb tenses, conjugations, and moods are the building blocks of the Italian language, and must be thoroughly understood in order to be truly fluent. Italian Grammar For Dummies is your first step toward mastering the written aspects of Italian.

By emphasizing the complicated conjugations and grammar rules, taking a narrower focus to improve comprehension, and enabling you to practice using the concepts right in the book, Italian Grammar For Dummies is your hands-on guide to mastering the written aspects of Italian.
* Provides ample opportunities to practice proper Italian grammar
* Serves as an excellent course supplement for those struggling with the complexities of the language
* Offers instruction and practice exercises for both speaking and writing the language, giving you greater confidence in your ability to communicate in Italian

If you’re looking to master fluency in the Italian language but struggle with the details of grammar, Italian Grammar For Dummies has you covered.

Table of Content

Introduction 1

Part I: Getting Started with Italian Grammar 5

Chapter 1: Italian Grammar in a Nutshell 7

Chapter 2: That’s Italian! Sounding Out Italian Words the Right Way 15

Chapter 3: Talking about Things with Nouns and Articles 25

Chapter 4: Dealing with Numbers, Dates, and Time 45

Chapter 5: Adding Dimension and Description with Adjectives63

Part II: Forming Simple Sentences and Asking Questions 75

Chapter 6: Jumping into Action with Italian Regular Verbs 77

Chapter 7: Using Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense 97

Chapter 8: Substituting Pronouns for Nouns 117

Chapter 9: Using Refl exive Forms and Expressing Imperative Moods 133

Chapter 10: Declaring Your Likes (and Dislikes) with Piacere 149

Chapter 11: Asking and Responding to Questions 165

Part III: Beefing Up Your Sentences 179

Chapter 12: Prepositions: Little Words, Big Challenges 181

Chapter 13: Qualifying Nouns with Demonstrative, Indefinite, and Possessive Words 195

Chapter 14: Making Transitions, Forming Connections, and Commenting 211

Chapter 15: Describing Actions with Adverbs 225

Part IV: Talking about the Past, Future, and Conditional 237

Chapter 16: Been There, Done That: Talking in the Past Tense 239

Chapter 17: Reflexive Verbs in the Past 261

Chapter 18: Future Tense and Conditional Mood 271

Part V: Expressing Subjectivity and Giving Orders 295

Chapter 19: Dealing with Conditions Beyond Our Control:’If’ Clauses and Passive Actions 297

Chapter 20: Getting into the Subjunctive Mood 307

Chapter 21: Second-Guessing Your Actions with the Past Conditional 321

Chapter 22: I Hope That You’ve Had Fun! The Past Subjunctive 331

Part VI: The Part of Tens 343

Chapter 23: Ten Common Italian Grammar Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them) 345

Chapter 24: Ten Italian Expressions You’ll Use Every Day 351

Index 355

About the author

Beth Bartolini-Salimbeni teaches languages and literatures (Italian, Spanish, Latin, and English) and history at the high school and university levels.