Rule: The simple past is used for events that occurred in the past and are finished; the present perfect is used to show a connection between the past and the present, as in the case of events that started in the past and continue now.

Rule: since is used to indicate a moment when a period starts, it is normally used with perfect tenses and usually translates the Italian “da” (“dal 1999” )

= “since 1999”). For is used for periods of time and usually translates the Italian “per” (“for 18 years” = “per 18 anni”). ATTENTION: when the Italian “da” refers to a period rather than a specific moment in time it is translated by “for”: “Andiamo lì da 20 anni” 

= “We’ve been going there for 20 years.”

Inside – Out, Intermediate, L 3. 

Grammar

Translate the following sentences without using a dictionary:

-- Ho visto John oggi  

= I saw John today (azione finita)

-- Ho vissuto in Inghilterra fin da bambino 

= I’ve been living (oppure I’ve lived) in England since I was a child 

-- Ci conosciamo da 20 anni 

= We’ve known each other for 20 years 

-- Ho questo orologio da quando ho 18 anni 

= I’ve had this watch since I was 18  (non I’ve been having perchè “have” non vuole la forma progressiva se usato nel senso di possedere)
-- Sono al lavoro ancora per un’altra ora se hai bisogno di me 

= I’ll be (I’m gonna be) at work for another hour if you need me 

-- Non lo vedo da aprile 

= I haven’t seen him since April 

-- Sono sposati dal 1999 

= They’ve been married since 1999 

-- Siamo andati al mare a Gaeta per 20 anni, poi non piu’.

= We went to the seaside in Gaeta for 20 years, then we stopped.

 

LEXIS

Translate the following sentences without using a dictionary:

-- Sono persone molte affidabili  

= They are very reliable people 

--E’ una che lavora molto 

= She’s a very hard-working person 

--E’ allegro sempre  

= He’s always cheerful 

--E’ molto fedele  

= he’s very faithful 

--è molto divertente  

= he’s a lot of fun / very amusing / entertaining 

--quello lì è molto egocentrico 

= that guy is very self-centered 

--mia zia è una persona all’antica 

= my aunt is very old-fashioned  

-- è molto distratto 

= he’s very absent-minded

–He’s very broad-minded  

= ha una mentalità molto aperta  

--She’s especially witty   

= è particolarmente spiritosa 

--they are very outgoing  

= sono molto aperti  -she’s very narrow-minded 

= ha una mentalità molto chiusa

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