Other Constructions

Italian Other Constructions

Gerund

  • The gerund is a verb form ending in -ando for -are verbs and -endo for -ere and -ire verbs.
  • It expresses ongoing actions or states related to the main verb, similar to English ‘-ing’ verbs. For instance, ‘Sto mangiando,’ means ‘I am eating.’
  • Gerund forms are generally regular, but there are some irregular forms to learn, such as ‘fare’ (doing) and ‘dire’ (saying).

Infinitive

  • The infinitive is the basic form of the verb, equivalent to English forms like ‘to eat’, ‘to drink’.
  • Infinitives are used after other verbs, such as ‘volere’ (to want), ‘potere’ (to be able), ‘sapere’ (to know how to), ‘dovere’ (to have to).
  • They can also be used after certain prepositions like ‘per’ (in order to), ‘di’ (to, about), and ‘a’ (to).

Imperative

  • The imperative is used to give orders, instructions or advice. The endings change depending on the person, verb and tense.
  • Regelarly, it uses the verb stem with specific endings for the second person singular and plural.
  • Beware of some irregular forms like ‘essere’ (to be) and ‘avere’ (to have).

Participle

  • The participle is a non-finite verb form that can function as an adjective, noun or verb.
  • It usually has an -ato, -uto or -ito ending, depending on whether the verb is a first, second or third conjugation verb.
  • It can be used in the formation of compound tenses like the past perfect ‘Ho mangiato’ (I have eaten).

Subjunctive

  • The subjunctive is a mood used to express subjectivity, uncertainty, doubt, possibility, necessity, or action that has not yet occurred.
  • It is often triggered by certain verbs or conjunctions, or in certain types of sentence.
  • Its forms vary according to tense and it has some irregular verbs to learn.

Conditional

  • The conditional is used to express hypothetical situations and politeness.
  • It follows regular conjugation patterns for most verbs, but some verbs show irregularities.
  • Often used with ‘se’ (if) in hypothetical speech, such as ‘Se avessi il tempo, lo farei.’ (If I had time, I would do it).

Remember to practise these constructions in context. Understanding their role in sentence formation and communication is crucial. Read Italian texts and identify these constructions, and try to use them in your own writing and speaking.