Il viaggio di Shandra

[Neurotip]

Buonasera Shandra e buon Natale!
Ho trovato questo forum qualche giorno fa e ho deciso di scrivere quanto posso in italiano nel 2018... poi stasera trovo il tuo log e quindi eccomi scrivendo Spero che stai facendo anche tu quello che ti piace.

If it would help, I'd be delighted to make suggestions about what you write in English - and would be even more pleased to have your comments on my Italian which really needs some improvement (like for example, is it OK to use 'tu' in this context ).

Felice anno nuovo!

[shandra]

I'd like to share a song with you, as a Xmas present.

It's about Italian congiuntivo, often misused among Italians themselves

In the video, the boy was first rejected because he declared his feelings with the wrong verbal conjugation. With the right use of congiuntivo he finally win the heart of the girl.



Il congiuntivo (by Lorenzo Baglioni)
Che io sia
che io fossi
che io sia stato
oh-oh-oh

Oggigiorno chi corteggia
incontra sempre più difficoltà
coi verbi al congiuntivo

Quindi è tempo di riaprire
il manuale di grammatica
che è, molto educativo

Gerundio imperativo
e infinito indicativo
molti tempi e molte coniugazioni ma...

Il congiuntivo ha un ruolo distintivo
e si usa per eventi
che non sono reali

E' relativo a ciò che è soggettivo
a differenza di altri modi verbali

E adesso che lo sai anche tu
non lo sbagli più

Nel caso che il periodo sia della tipologia dell'irrealtà (si sa)
ci vuole il congiuntivo

Tipo se tu avessi usato
il congiuntivo trapassato
con lei non sarebbe andata poi male
condizionale
segui la consecutio temporum

Il congiuntivo ha un ruolo distintivo
e si usa per eventi
che non sono reali

E' relativo a ciò che è soggettivo
a differenza di altri modi verbali

E adesso ripassiamo un po' di verbi al congiuntivo
che io sia (presente)
che io fossi (imperfetto)
che io sia stato (passato)
che fossi stato (trapassato)
che io abbia (presente)
che io avessi (imperfetto)
che abbia avuto (passato)
che avessi avuto (trapassato)
che io... sarei

Il congiuntivo
come ti dicevo
si usa in questo tipo di costrutto sintattico

Dubitativo e quasi riflessivo
descritto dal seguente esempio didattico

E adesso che lo sai anche tu
non lo sbagli più

[shandra]

Here starts 2018.

Happy new year of learning languages to everyone.

[shandra]

I was really disappointed discovering that the new Super Challenge starts next May, and not the 1st of January.
But then I read Serpent's explanation (participants need a break after an 18 months streak), and I sadly admit it makes sense.

I was so impatient for SC that I spent Xmas holidays reading. What's better in winter time than books, a blanket, and chocolate?
I read A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas and (drum roll) finally Pride and Prejudice.
The first half of Austen's book went so slowly that I thought I would put it down for another year, but in the second half things started to move.
I desperately tried not to, believe me, but in the end I had a crush for Mr. Darcy. It doesn't matter if he looks more like Macfadyen or Firth, I can love both.

Speaking of reading, yesterday I signed in Tadoku for English.
I've just finished a YA novel, That Inevitable Victorian Thing, 260 pages. I can't go on at this pace, but I hope I will read 4 or 5 books this month.

How have you started this new year?

[shandra]

Author | Title | Month | Pages

E. K. Johnston, That Inevitable Victorian Thing, January, 260
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, January, 170
P. Aidan, Those Three Remain, January, 400
D. Brown, Origin, January, 450
L. Lowndes, How to Talk to Anyone, January, 300
K. Fox, Watching the English, January, (half book), 210
I. Misner, Networking like a Pro, January, (half book), 130
A. Vance, Elon Musk, February, 380
J.K. Rowling, HP and the Cursed Child, February, 300
A. Hoffman, The Museum Of Extraordinary Things, February, 350
C. Houck, Reawakened, February, 350
G. Pinch, Egyptian Myth, February, 120
J. Lovegrove, Sherlock Holmes: The Labyrinth of Death, March, 360
J. Lovegrove, Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows, March, 440
A. Thomas, The Detective and The Woman, March, 220
A. Thomas, The Detective, the Woman and the Winking Tree, March, 220
S. Thomas, A Study in Scarlet Women, March, 320
S. Siciliano, The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Angel of the Opera, April, 250
M. Magnusson, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, April, 140

Tadoku January: 1970

[Allison]

I was really disappointed discovering that the new Super Challenge starts next May, and not the 1st of January.
But then I read Serpent's explanation (participants need a break after an 18 months streak), and I sadly admit it makes sense.

It's even longer than that—20 months!

I was so impatient for SC that I spent Xmas holidays reading. What's better in winter time than books, a blanket, and chocolate?
I read A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas and (drum roll) finally Pride and Prejudice.
The first half of Austen's book went so slowly that I thought I would put it down for another year, but in the second half things started to move.
I desperately tried not to, believe me, but in the end I had a crush for Mr. Darcy. It doesn't matter if he looks more like Macfadyen or Firth, I can love both.

Speaking of reading, yesterday I signed in Tadoku for English.
I've just finished a YA novel, That Inevitable Victorian Thing, 260 pages. I can't go on at this pace, but I hope I will read 4 or 5 books this month.

Wow, that sounds like a good amount of reading, and good stuff, too.

How have you started this new year?

I read a bit in Spanish for the first time in quite a while. Not nearly as much as you, but I'm on the right track

[shandra]

I read a bit in Spanish for the first time in quite a while. Not nearly as much as you, but I'm on the right track

One step at a time


Yesterday I thought I read The Great Gatsby until I realized it was an abridged version for English learner.
I was aware that it was too short and too easy, but I was so interested in the development of the plot that I postponed any questions and doubts about it. Now I'm reading the unabridged one: the language sounds fascinating, although rich in unknown words.

I spent the evening with my fiancé watching some dubbed episodes of Arrested Development. The sequence of events was a little surreal but quite funny.

We watched also the episode of Toys that made us about G.I.Joe and Masters of the Universe. I've already watched them in English, but I wanted to share nostalgic memories with him. I'm glad we don't have any ToysCon here because he is a perfect target for new products. You know, for toys made for nostalgic thirty-year-old with money. I prefer not to waste the money we don't have on dolls, sorry, action figures. But I wish to be as smart as the toys marketer who discovered this slice of the market.

I think we will read for some weeks many diary entries like mine because of the Output Challenge.
I didn't mention any (really) language related things, so I wonder if I need to find a better place to submit this kind of post.

[shandra]

Medium | Minutes

Video
Toys that made us (G.I.Joe, Masters) 90
Secrets of Great British Castles (Warwick, Caernarfon, Stirling, Carrickfergus) 172

Podcast
History of English (1/87) 24 + 33 + 50

[Tristano]

Based to what I read, I can't believe you're only B1 in English Time to update your profile?

[shandra]

Based to what I read, I can't believe you're only B1 in English Time to update your profile?

Thanks But you've never listened to me babbling in English
Now I'm paying more attention to grammar because of the challenge, but I can still make beginner mistakes