GCSE Italian: Core Grammar Essentials Revision Guide

Gender and definite articles

Every Italian noun is either masculine or feminine. The definite article ("the") changes depending on gender, number, and the first letter of the noun: il (masculine + consonant, e.g. il libro), lo (masculine + z/s+consonant/gn/ps, e.g. lo zaino), l' (masculine or feminine + vowel, e.g. l'amico), la (feminine + consonant, e.g. la casa). In the plural: i (from il), gli (from lo and l' masculine), le (from la and l' feminine).

Indefinite articles

"A/an" follows the same pattern: un (masculine, e.g. un libro), uno (masculine + z/s+consonant, e.g. uno zaino), una (feminine + consonant, e.g. una casa), un' (feminine + vowel, e.g. un'amica).

Grammar point: adjective agreement

Adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. Adjectives ending in -o (like alto) change to -a (feminine singular), -i (masculine plural), and -e (feminine plural): il ragazzo alto, la ragazza alta, i ragazzi alti, le ragazze alte. Adjectives ending in -e (like intelligente) only change in the plural, to -i for both genders: il ragazzo intelligente, i ragazzi intelligenti.

Grammar point: essere and avere

Essere (to be): sono, sei, è, siamo, siete, sono. Example: Sono italiano — "I am Italian". Avere (to have): ho, hai, ha, abbiamo, avete, hanno. Example: Ho un cane — "I have a dog". These are the two most important irregular verbs in Italian, as they are also used to build the passato prossimo.

Subject pronouns

Italian subject pronouns are: io (I), tu (you, informal), lui/lei (he/she), Lei (you, formal), noi (we), voi (you plural), loro (they). Because the verb ending already shows who is doing the action, subject pronouns are usually left out in Italian unless needed for emphasis or clarity: Parlo italiano (not "Io parlo italiano") is the natural way to say "I speak Italian".

Common mistakes

• Using "il" or "la" with a noun that needs "lo" or "l'", e.g. writing "il zaino" instead of "lo zaino".
• Forgetting to change adjective endings for feminine or plural nouns, e.g. writing "la ragazza alto" instead of "la ragazza alta".
• Confusing "essere" and "avere", e.g. using avere to say age correctly but mistakenly using essere for other avere expressions like "avere fame" (to be hungry).