Italian · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 12 of 12
Final review
Ripasso finale
Review B2 Italian in a long, natural conversation between two old friends: past and future forms, if-clauses, reported speech and idioms.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Follow a long, natural conversation between old friends
- Use the B2 verb forms together
- Combine if-clauses, concessions and reported speech
- Sound natural with idioms and discourse markers
Listen
In Piazza del Popolo in Ascoli Piceno, Rita, a vet, bumps into Tullio, who studied with her in Bologna almost thirty years ago. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Rita
Tullio? Non ci credo! Sei proprio tu? Quanto tempo!
Tullio? I don't believe it. Is it really you? It's been ages.
Tullio
Rita! Saranno trent'anni. L'ultima volta ci vedemmo alla festa di laurea di Marco, a Bologna.
Rita! It must be thirty years. The last time we saw each other was at Marco's graduation party, in Bologna.
Rita
“Ci vedemmo”… parli ancora come un palermitano. Ma che ci fai ad Ascoli?
“Ci vedemmo”… you still talk like someone from Palermo. But what are you doing in Ascoli?
Tullio
Sono qui per un concorso. Insegno filosofia a Lecce, ma vorrei trasferirmi più vicino a mia figlia, che studia ad Ancona. E tu? Ti credevo ancora a Bologna.
I'm here for a competitive exam. I teach philosophy in Lecce, but I'd like to move closer to my daughter, who's studying in Ancona. And you? I thought you were still in Bologna.
Rita
No, sono tornata qui nel duemiladieci. Sebbene all'inizio non ne fossi convinta, poi ho cambiato idea: qui si vive bene e ci si conosce tutti.
No, I came back here in 2010. Although I wasn't convinced at first, then I changed my mind: life is good here, and everybody knows each other.
Tullio
E che lavoro fai? Ricordo che dicevi sempre che saresti diventata giornalista a Roma.
And what do you do? I remember you always said you'd become a journalist in Rome.
Rita
Eh, lo so. Faccio la veterinaria. Se avessi accettato quel lavoro al giornale, oggi forse vivrei a Roma. Però non me ne pento: gli animali sono la mia passione.
Oh, I know. I'm a vet. If I'd taken that job at the newspaper, maybe I'd be living in Rome now. But I don't regret it: animals are my passion.
Tullio
Hai fatto bene. Anch'io, se fossi rimasto a Bologna, non avrei mai conosciuto mia moglie.
You did the right thing. If I'd stayed in Bologna, I'd never have met my wife either.
Rita
Senti, hai un'ora? Ti offro un caffè al Meletti e facciamo due chiacchiere.
Listen, have you got an hour? I'll buy you a coffee at the Meletti and we can have a chat.
Tullio
Magari! Ma alle tre ho la prova orale, e i documenti vanno consegnati prima. Appena avrò finito, ti chiamo.
I'd love to. But I've got the oral exam at three, and the documents have to be handed in before that. As soon as I've finished, I'll call you.
Rita
Allora in bocca al lupo! Anzi, stasera vieni a cena da noi, così conosci mio marito e i ragazzi.
Good luck, then. Actually, come to dinner at our place tonight, so you can meet my husband and the kids.
Tullio
Crepi! Volentieri. Pur avendo poco tempo, per una cena con te il tempo lo trovo sempre.
Thanks! I'd love to. Even though I'm short of time, I can always find time for dinner with you.
Understand
The B2 verb forms together
This conversation uses most of the verb forms you've learnt at B2. The future guesses (), and the sets one future event before another (). Tullio, from Palermo, uses the in speech (), as many people do in the south.
+ participle says what must be done (), and makes a reflexive verb impersonal (). + gerund concedes a point: , …
| Form | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| future of guessing | It must be thirty years. | |
| futuro anteriore | As soon as I've finished, I'll call you. | |
| We saw each other in Bologna. | ||
| + participle | The documents have to be handed in. | |
| Everybody knows each other. | ||
| + gerund | , … | Even though I'm short of time, … |
If, although, and what people said
Unreal and mixed sentences talk about the paths you didn't take: (unreal past), (mixed: past condition, result now).
takes the congiuntivo, and after a past verb it's the imperfetto: , …. In reported speech after a past verb, the future becomes the condizionale passato: “” → .
- Se avessi accettato quel lavoro, oggi vivrei a Roma.If I'd taken that job, I'd be living in Rome now.
- Dicevi che saresti diventata giornalista.You used to say you'd become a journalist.
- Sebbene all'inizio non ne fossi convinta, ho cambiato idea.Although I wasn't convinced at first, I changed my mind.
Sounding natural
Old friends mix all of this with the everyday language of chapters 8 and 9: reactions (), idioms (, ), and small words like , and (actually, or rather), which corrects what you've just said and makes it stronger.
Word order adds emphasis too: puts first to make it the topic. And (I don't regret it) is with (of it) replacing + the thing you regret.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| It's been ages! | |
| I thought you were in Bologna. | |
| I changed my mind. | |
| Let's have a chat. | |
| , … | Actually, …, Or rather, … |
| I don't regret it. |
More in the grammar: Connectors: tuttavia, eppure, sebbene, pertanto · Reported speech: il discorso indiretto · The gerundio and participle phrases · The passato remoto: the narrative past · The sequence of tenses: la concordanza dei tempi
New words
- Quanto tempo!It's been ages! Long time no see!
- palermitanofrom Palermo; person from Palermo
- il concorsocompetitive exam (for public jobs); competition
- la filosofiaphilosophy
- cambiare ideato change your mind
- il / la giornalistajournalist
- il veterinario / la veterinariavet
- il giornalenewspaper
- l'animaleanimal · masculine
- il marito / la mogliehusband / wife · plural:
- fare due chiacchiereto have a chat
- la prova oraleoral exam
- consegnareto hand in, to deliver
- anziactually, or rather; on the contrary
Practise
1.Tullio says What does it mean?
2.Complete with the congiuntivo imperfetto of (io).
Although I wasn't convinced at first, then I changed my mind.
3.Complete with the condizionale passato of (tu, a woman).
You always said you'd become a journalist.
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.As soon as I've finished, I'll call you.
5.Which sentence means “If I'd taken that job, I'd be living in Rome now”?
6.Match the Italian with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Non ci credo! Quanto tempo!
I don't believe it! It's been ages!
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.