GCSE Italian: School and Education Revision Guide

Key vocabulary

• la scuola — school
• l'insegnante — teacher
• l'aula — classroom
• lo zaino — school bag
• il libro / la penna / la matita / il quaderno — book/pen/pencil/exercise book
• la matematica — maths
• l'inglese — English
• le scienze — science
• la storia — history
• la geografia — geography
• l'educazione fisica — PE
• l'arte — art
• l'orario — timetable
• la ricreazione — break time
• i compiti — homework

Giving opinions

Useful opinion phrases: Mi piace... (I like...), Non mi piace... (I don't like...), Preferisco... (I prefer...), Odio... (I hate...). Adjectives to describe subjects: noioso (boring), interessante (interesting), facile (easy), difficile (difficult).

Grammar point: mi piace vs mi piacciono

"Mi piace" literally means "it is pleasing to me", so it must agree with what follows. Use mi piace with a singular noun or an infinitive verb, e.g. Mi piace la matematica (I like maths) or Mi piace studiare (I like studying). Use mi piacciono with a plural noun, e.g. Mi piacciono le scienze (I like sciences). This is a very common exam error, so check carefully whether the subject is singular or plural.

Justifying opinions with perché

To get higher marks, always justify your opinion using perché (because), e.g. Mi piace l'arte perché è creativa — "I like art because it is creative". Two-sentence answers with a reason always score better than a single adjective.

Common mistakes

• Using "mi piace" with a plural subject instead of "mi piacciono", e.g. "mi piace le scienze" is wrong.
• Forgetting to make adjectives agree, e.g. saying "la matematica è noioso" instead of "noiosa".
• Giving an opinion without a reason (perché) — this limits marks in the speaking and writing exams.