Signora Harrington

1. Signora Harrington Ponti –Grammar ReviewCapitolo 1: La nostalgia comincia dalla pancia... per fortuna che c'è McDonald's!

2. Nomi e l'articolo indeterminativo Regular nouns  • In Italian, nouns are either masculine or feminine. • Nouns that end in -o are usually masculine (circolo). • Nouns that end in -a are usually feminine (paninoteca). • Nouns that end in -e can be either masculine or feminine (costumem., televisionef.). • The gender of nouns ending in -e must be memorized, but certain general rules do apply. 1. Nouns that end in -ore are usually masculine. l'attore, lo scrittore, ilvideoregistratore2. Nouns that end in -trice are mostly feminine. l'attrice, la scrittrice, la pittrice3. Nouns that end in -ione are usually feminine as well. la tradizione, la suggestione, l'informazione

3. Irregular nouns  • Some nouns that end in -o are feminine and some that end in -a are masculine. • Typically, these words are shortened versions of their original forms, such as motociclettamoto. la radio, l'auto, la foto, il cinema  • Italian nouns that end in consonants are all of foreign origin. Most are masculine. l'autobus, il bar, lo sport, il film  • Nouns that end in -à are usually feminine, like città and università. Nouns that end in -è are usually masculine, such ascaffè. • Nouns that end in -ù are usually feminine, such as virtù. 

4. The indefinite article  • The indefinite article means a or an. It has four forms. The appropriate form depends on the gender of the word it modifies and the first letter(s) of the word that follows the article.  • Un is used with masculine nouns that begin with a vowel or with most consonants.  • Uno is used with masculine nouns that begin with s + consonant, gn, ps, or z.  • Una is used with feminine nouns that begin with a consonant.  • Un' is used with feminine nouns that begin with a vowel.

5. Singular indefinite articles (a/an)

6. Plural nouns

7. Note!!! • Note that both masculine and feminine nouns that end in -e form their plurals with -i.  • Nouns that end in -io often form the plural with just one -i. personaggiopersonaggi • To preserve the hard sound of the c or g, nouns ending in -co and -go acquire an h in the plural. bancobanchi • Note: Exceptions include amicoamici, grecogreci, nemiconemici, and words whose emphasis falls on the third-to-last syllable: medico medici, tecnicotecnici.  • Words that end in -ca and -ga require an h in the plural for the same reason: amicaamiche, elettronicaelettroniche.

8. Plural nouns

9. Irregulars • The following nouns, all shortened forms of longer nouns, do not change their endings in the plural.  • un cinema due cinema • una radio due radio • unamoto due moto • un'auto due auto • unabici due bici

10. Online exercises • Esercizio 1: L'articolo indeterminativo • Esercizio 2: L’articoloindeterminativo • Esercizio 3: Pluralideinomi

11. L'articolodeterminativo • The definite article corresponds to the in English. The definite article refers to specific things or people, in contrast to the indefinite article, which refers to any member of the category designated by the noun. • The form of the definite article is determined by the gender and number of the noun it modifies and the first letter(s) of the word that follows the article. 

12. Singular forms  • Il is used with masculine nouns that begin with most consonants.  • Lo is used with masculine nouns that begin with s + consonant, gn, ps, or z.  • La is used with feminine nouns that begin with a consonant.  • L' is used with masculine and feminine nouns that begin with a vowel.

13. Singular definite articles

14. Plural forms  • I is used with masculine nouns that begin with most consonants.  • Gli is used with masculine nouns that begin with s + consonant, gn, ps, z, or a vowel.  • Le is used with all feminine nouns.

15. Plural definite articles

16. Esercizi • Esercizio 1: L’articolo determinative • Esercizio 2: Articolodeterminativi e nomidalsingolare al plurale