Italian B1: Intermediate

At B1 speech stops being a run of separate sentences. An opinion comes with a reason, a story has a beginning and an end, and a misunderstanding can be cleared up without anyone stepping in to help.

Mistakes still happen, but they no longer get in the way of being understood. This is the level at which a language becomes usable at work.

Tenses and if-sentences6

Verbs: modals, si, subjunctive18

The imperative

B1Pronouns with the imperativeIt welds itself on the back — and then a letter doubles.

Can, must, want

B1Impersonal need: bisogna, ci vuoleThree sentences with no subject where English insists on one.B1Modal verbs in the past« Must » has no past in English; here the past picks its own auxiliary.B1Mustn't and needn't« Mustn't » and « needn't » — you make this distinction already.B1Guessing with dovere« Must be » — the same double duty English gives to must.B1Advising and recommending« Should » and « you'd better », with the same threat inside.

Verbs with si

B1The impersonal siEnglish has four ways to avoid naming anybody; here there is one.B1Each other: ci, vi, si« Each other » and « themselves » are one form here.

The passive

B1The passive with essereThe participle agrees, like an adjective.B1The passive with siThe verb follows the thing, not the sign-writer.

The subjunctive (congiuntivo)

B1Subjunctive: the formsThe final vowels change sides.B1When to use the subjunctiveA list, not a feeling — and « that » cannot be dropped in front of it.B1Avoiding the subjunctiveSame subject, no clause and no form to build.B1Past subjunctive: fossi, avessi« If I were » in every tense, and not only in that one phrase.

Verb + infinitive

B1Verb + a + infinitiveThe verbs of starting, learning and managing.B1Verb + di + infinitiveThe biggest group — and where most English -ing verbs land.B1Verbs that take both a and diThe same verb twice, and the preposition is half the meaning.B1Adjective + infinitive« Easy to read » and « it is easy to read » are two constructions here.

Articles, nouns and pronouns9

The noun

B1Irregular nouns and pluralsA closed list, exactly like man and men.B1Diminutives: -ino, -ettoEnglish says a little house; Italian changes the word.B1Gender that changes meaningThe same word, two articles, two things.B1Compound nounsA wine glass and a glass of wine — that is the whole distinction.B1Collective nounsBoth English instincts push the wrong way here.B1Job titles in the feminineEnglish is dropping these; Italian is building them.

The pronouns

B1Combined pronouns: me lo, glieloGive it to me becomes give to-me it.

Prepositions

B1Verbs with prepositionsThe preposition is part of the verb, and it is not the English one.B1Adjectives + prepositionAnd it can never be left at the end of the sentence.

Sentence structure5

Questions and negation

B1Indirect questionsYou already undo the inversion; the congiuntivo is the new part.

Joining sentences

B1Connectives: quindi, però, infattiThey link whole sentences and leave the verb where it is.B1Conjunctions + subjunctivebenché, affinché, purché take the congiuntivo; perché (because), poiché and finché do not.

Reported speech

B1Reported statementsWithout quotation marks — and without dropping « that ».B1Reported orders and requests« He told me to wait » — the same shape, with di instead of « to ».

Word lists at level B1

Lists: 59 · words: 2192

All word lists →

Reading texts at level B1

Sentences from this level’s topics

Il programma comincia alle nove.The programme starts at nine.

Abitano in una casetta fuori città.They live in a little house outside town.

Roma è la capitale d’Italia.Rome is the capital of Italy.

Non trovo il costume da bagno.I cannot find my swimming costume.

Practise level B1 only