Work and the office

What holds these lists together

Work in the broad sense, and the business that fills a working week around it: the application and the interview, the meeting, the negotiation, the complaint, the form at the counter and the call to book an appointment. What connects them is the register. Almost everything here is said to somebody you do not know, and Italian marks that where English does not: the polite «you» is Lei, with the verb in the third person — Può ripetere, per favore? Titles matter too. A letter opens Gentile dottoressa, and in Italy anyone with a degree may be addressed as dottore, not only a physician.

For example: la circolare (the circular), il fatturato (the turnover), l’assoluzione (the acquittal), il caporedattore (the editor in chief), l’appartamento condiviso (the shared flat), effettuare un ordine (to place an order)

Spread across the levels

The category runs across the levels — it is an area, not a difficulty. If you practise it, you can also choose a level at the top of the practice page and then get only the part that sits there.