Italian Grammar and Culture Notes

1.2. Articoli

Discussione delle persone illustri

Questions for Discussion

  • What did Ennio Morricone do in Hollywood?
  • How many Oscars did Morricone receive?
  • What did Prada launch in the 1990s?
  • According to Forbes, what is Miuccia Prada's net worth?
  • Why does Elena Ferrante keep her identity a secret?
  • In what year did Elena Ferrante publish her first novel?
  • Where was Christopher Columbus born?
  • Who financed Christopher Columbus's first voyage to the Americas?

Ennio Morricone (1928-2020)

  • Also composed music for the films Cinema Paradiso, The Untouchables, The Mission, The Exorcist II.
  • Famous as a composer for spaghetti westerns (director Sergio Leone, actor Clint Eastwood).
  • Examples:
    • Il buono, il brutto e il cattivo (1966) - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
    • The Ecstasy of Gold

Galleria di persone illustri (Gallery of Famous People) - Oral Activity

  • For the four remaining lessons (chapters) of Immagina che, you will do a brief oral presentation after discussing famous people.
  • In groups of 3-4, choose the famous person who interests you most for that chapter.
  • Then, research the person to find more information about their life or work.
  • Each student must contribute at least one piece of information, in the form of 1-2 sentences.
  • You can also show images or videos (brief), but you must always speak.
  • The presentation should last 5-10 minutes.
  • Don't forget to collaborate: that is, share what you want to say and check the language of your classmates.

Presentation Groups and Dates

  • Group 1: Gabby, Ryan, Sam, Sophia = February 7
  • Group 2: Paul, Madelyn Joan, Diego = February 24
  • Group 3: Madelyn Concetta, Anna Ruth, Grace, Vivien = March 24
  • Group 4: Andrew, Anna Elizabeth, Maddie = April 7

Articles

  • Two types of articles:
    • DETERMINATIVI (definite: the book) - Singular and Plural
    • INDETERMINATIVI (indefinite: a book) - Only Singular

Indefinite Articles (Articoli Indeterminativi)

  • ONLY SINGULAR!
    • Masculine:
      • UN
      • UNO - if the noun begins with: S+CONS, PS, GN, PN, X, Y, Z
        • Examples: un ragazzo, un albero, uno studente, uno zaino, uno gnomo, uno psicologo
    • Feminine:
      • UNA
      • UN’ - with feminine words that begin with a vowel
        • Examples: una ragazza, una studentessa, una nota, un’amica, un’università

Definite Articles (Articoli Determinativi)

  • Articles agree with the GENDER (Masculine/Feminine) and NUMBER (Singular/Plural) of the noun. - AGREEMENT -
    • Masculine:
      • Singular:
        • IL CANE (the dog)
        • LO STUDENTE (the student) - if the noun begins with: S+CONS / PS, GN, PN, X, Y, Z
        • L’AMICO (the friend) - with a vowel
      • Plural:
        • I CANI (the dogs)
        • GLI STUDENTI (the students), GLI AMICI (the friends)
    • Feminine:
      • Singular:
        • LA CASA (the house)
        • L’AMICA (the friend) - with a vowel
      • Plural:
        • LE CASE (the houses), LE AMICHE (the friends)

Use of the Definite Article (L’Uso dell’articolo determinativo)

  • The definite article is repeated before each noun:
    • Ecco la penna e la matita. [Here are the pencil and pen]
  • Nouns used in a general sense (e.g., a category) take the article:
    • Gli italiani sono simpatici. I professori sono bravi. [Italians are likeable. The professors are good.]
  • The article is used when a name is preceded by a title:
    • Ecco il signor Prodi. [Here is Mr. Prodi]
    • but it is not used when speaking directly to the person in question:
    • “Buongiorno, signor Prodi!” [same as in English]

More on Definite Articles

  • The article is used with the names of languages, except with the verb “parlare” (to speak):
    • Studio il tedesco e il cinese. [I am studying German and Chinese]
    • but: Paola parla spagnolo e italiano. [Paola speaks Spanish and Italian.]
  • Before the days of the week only to indicate a regular occurrence:
    • Non ho lezione il venerdì. [I have class on Fridays]
    • but: Lunedì vado a Roma. [On Monday I am going to Rome.]
  • Use the article with the names of countries, continents, regions, and large islands:
    • L’Italia è bella. / La Toscana è grande. [Italy is beautiful. / Tuscany is big.]
    • Gli Stati Uniti sono importanti. [The United States are important.]
    • La Sardegna è molto bella. [Sardinia is very beautiful.]

Article Choice Exercise

  • Choose the correct article (can be definite or indefinite)
    • ____ Stati Uniti sono _____ grande paese. _____ Italia è più piccola. // Gli, un, L’
    • ____ domenica, _____ mio ragazzo e io guardiamo ______ film. // La, il, un
    • ____ giorno, spero di viaggiare _____ mondo! // Un, il
    • Non ho mai assaggiato cucina (cuisine) (di) Sardegna. // la, della
    • Andrea deve partire (a) cinque, ha appuntamento. // alle, un