Italian · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 6 of 12
Public life
La vita pubblica
Report what politicians and officials said in Italian: full reported speech, reported questions and requests, and the language of local government.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Report statements, questions and requests in the past
- Change tenses and time words in reported speech
- Understand the language of local government
Listen
In Sassari, on a local radio news programme, the presenter Maddalena Piras talks to the reporter Gavino Sanna about last night's council meeting. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Maddalena
Buongiorno e bentornati. In studio con noi c'è Gavino Sanna, che ieri sera era alla seduta del consiglio comunale. Buongiorno, Gavino.
Good morning and welcome back. In the studio with us is Gavino Sanna, who was at the council meeting last night. Good morning, Gavino.
Gavino
Buongiorno, Maddalena. È stata una seduta lunga, finita a mezzanotte. Alla fine il consiglio ha approvato la nuova linea di autobus per l'aeroporto di Alghero, con i voti della maggioranza e di due consiglieri dell'opposizione.
Good morning, Maddalena. It was a long meeting, which ended at midnight. In the end the council approved the new bus line to Alghero airport, with the votes of the majority and of two opposition councillors.
Maddalena
Una notizia che molti cittadini aspettavano. Cosa ha detto il sindaco?
News that many residents were waiting for. What did the mayor say?
Gavino
Ha detto che la linea era una priorità per la città e che i lavori per le nuove fermate sarebbero cominciati entro l'estate. Ha anche promesso che il biglietto sarebbe costato come quello degli autobus di città.
He said the line was a priority for the city and that work on the new stops would start by the summer. He also promised that the ticket would cost the same as a city bus ticket.
Maddalena
E l'opposizione?
And the opposition?
Gavino
La consigliera Deiana ha dichiarato che il progetto era una buona idea, ma che il Comune non aveva trovato abbastanza soldi. Ha chiesto al sindaco dove avrebbe trovato il resto.
Councillor Deiana stated that the project was a good idea, but that the council hadn't found enough money. She asked the mayor where he would find the rest.
Maddalena
E lui cosa ha risposto?
And what did he answer?
Gavino
Ha risposto che la Regione avrebbe pagato metà dei costi. Poi ha chiesto a tutti i consiglieri di votare insieme, “per il bene della città”.
He answered that the Region would pay half the costs. Then he asked all the councillors to vote together, “for the good of the city”.
Maddalena
Molti ascoltatori ci hanno scritto con la stessa domanda: quando partirà il primo autobus?
Many listeners have written to us with the same question: when will the first bus run?
Gavino
Il sindaco ha detto che il servizio sarebbe partito a marzo dell'anno prossimo. Ma qualcuno del pubblico gli ha chiesto se fosse davvero possibile, dopo tutti i ritardi degli ultimi anni.
The mayor said the service would start in March next year. But someone in the audience asked him if that was really possible, after all the delays of the last few years.
Maddalena
Una domanda che si fanno in tanti. E il sindaco?
A question lots of people are asking. And the mayor?
Gavino
Ha risposto che questa volta i soldi c'erano, e che a marzo tutti avrebbero visto il primo autobus con i loro occhi.
He answered that this time the money was there, and that in March everyone would see the first bus with their own eyes.
Understand
Reporting what was said
In B1 you reported statements with . Here is the full picture. After a verb in the past (), each tense moves one step back. The imperfetto, the trapassato and the condizionale passato don't change.
The future becomes the condizionale passato, which is the “future in the past”: “” → . The condizionale presente also becomes the condizionale passato: “” → . If the event is still in the future when you report it, you'll also hear the future: .
| The original words | After … |
|---|---|
| present: “” | imperfetto: |
| passato prossimo: “” | trapassato: |
| future: “” | condizionale passato: |
| congiuntivo presente: “” | congiuntivo imperfetto: |
| imperative: “” | + infinitive: |
Questions, requests, and changing words
To report a question, use … for yes/no questions, or the question word: / / …. In everyday speech the indicative is fine (). In careful and written Italian, the congiuntivo imperfetto is more common: .
For a request, use or + + infinitive: . Remember to change the person ( → / , → ) and, when the time and place have changed, words like these:
| Direct speech | Reported speech |
|---|---|
The language of public life
Reports on politics use a set of neutral, formal verbs instead of : (to state), (to state, to claim), (to promise), (to stress), (to answer). In Italy, is both the town council and the town hall, and is the regional government.
Italy has 20 regions and nearly 8,000 . Every has a and a , elected by local voters.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| town council, city council | |
| meeting, session (of a council or parliament) | |
| to approve a proposal | |
| / | the majority / the opposition |
| / | to vote for / against |
| budget |
More in the grammar: Reported speech: il discorso indiretto · The sequence of tenses: la concordanza dei tempi
New words
- la sedutameeting, session (of a council or parliament)
- il consiglio comunaletown council, city council
- approvareto approve, to pass (a law or plan)
- la linealine; route (of a bus or train)
- la maggioranzamajority
- il consigliere / la consiglieracouncillor
- l'opposizionethe opposition · feminine
- il cittadino / la cittadinacitizen, resident
- promettereto promise · like :
- dichiarareto state, to declare
- il Comunetown council; town hall · also a town or municipality
- rispondereto answer, to reply · participle:
- votareto vote · = vote
- l'ascoltatore / l'ascoltatricelistener
Practise
1.The mayor said: How do you report it?
2.Report it. The councillor said:
She stated that the council hadn't found the money.
3.Report the request. The mayor said:
The mayor asked the councillors to vote together.
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.She asked him if it was possible.
5.Last month, in another town, Carla said: How do you report it today?
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
Il sindaco ha promesso che il servizio sarebbe partito a marzo.
The mayor promised that the service would start in March.
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.