Complete Italian Grammar (Practice Makes Perfect)

Practice Makes Perfect

by Marcel Danesi

Build up your Italian grammar skills and communicate with ease The only way to boost your confidence in a second language is to practice, practice, practice. From the present tense of regular verbs to direct object pronouns, this comprehensive guide and workbook covers all aspects of Italian grammar that you need to master. Focusing on the practical aspects of Italian as it's really spoken, each unit of Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian Grammar features clear explanations, numerous realistic examples, and lots of engaging exercises. Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian Grammar makes mastering grammar easy with: With help from this book, you can effortlessly use:
Possessive adjectives • Relative pronouns • Gerunds • Expressions of time • The passive and the impersonal Si * The subjunctive mood * Question words

Genres: Language, Italian Literature, Reference, Italy, Textbooks, Nonfiction

287 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2006

About the author

Marcel Danesi (b. Marcello Danesi, 1946) is a current Professor of Semiotics and Linguistic Anthropology at the University of Toronto. He is known for his work in language, communications, and semiotics; being Director of the Program in Semiotics and Communication Theory.

He has also held positions at Rutgers University (1972), The University of Rome "La Sapienza" (1988), the Catholic University of Milan (1990), and the University of Lugano.

He is the Editor-in-Chief of Semiotica: Journal of the International Association for Semiotic Studies and is a past-president of the Semiotic Society of America.

Reviews

[bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

dazzling. such verbs!

[livia · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Rating: 5 stars

- For all those of you who are learning Italian and thinking about picking up this book, do it. It covers most grammatical tenses (excluding ones that are extremely rare) and explains everything in an informative and easy-to-understand manner. The exercises are simple and help you memorize what you've learned. You'll learn so much from this book and you'll be able to converse with Italian speakers (even native speakers) when you're finished.

[patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This workbook is very useful as a supplement to language learning on DuoLingo. I am days away from completing the DuoLingo Italiano course with full 5’s. It’s been a two and a half year long project.

[rory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty much as advertised--it's a grammar. Except, if actually going to Italy or planning to speak Italian, you might want to go through the lessons almost in reverse, lol, or at least choose your own sequence. Lots of stuff you would think is the most practical is at the very end, including: numbers, dates, time, question words and how to ask a question, the list of glue words that people tend to fill sentences with in normal speech ("then", "yet", "always", "often", etc), and.. verbs and pronouns. Meanwhile, the first chapters are full of stuff that's not necessary for being understood, only for being correct, like all the articles that must agree with the number/gender of nouns. It would be easy for a perfectionist to get stuck indefinitely here, trying to memorize all forms of "the".

Consider that you can't form a complete sentence until Lesson 10 out of 20. You can't ask a question until Lesson 18. For me, being able to say something is a big factor in staying motivated, so using a sequence that doesn't support that is a weakness.

[Miruna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am very happy with how this book helps me to consolidate my grammar knowledge. It presents grammar rules briefly, with plenty of examples following. The exercises are at first sight not challenging, but they help consolidate the basics. Chapter divisions help with lesson planning - I do a chapter in two sittings as I have limited free time. I only wish I had bought the all-in-one version of this book.

My level is B1 (European framework). I am self taught, with an A2 exam passed in 2019.

[Olly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book but not enough exercises