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Indirect and Direct Object Pronouns, Demonstrative Adjectives

Direct Objects and Direct Object Pronouns
Indirect Objects and Indirect Object Pronouns
Double Verb Constructions with Object Pronouns
Double Object Pronouns
Demonstrative Adjectives

Double Object Pronouns by Ronald Glenn Wrigley, M.A.

Up to now we have substituted a pronoun for either the direct or indirect object. As in English, in Italian it is possible to substitute for both pronouns. Take, for example, the sentence “I give the book to John.” In English, we can substitute both a direct object pronoun and an indirect object pronoun for the objects in this sentence so that it becomes “I gave it to him.” When both pronouns are used in a sentence in Italian, the indirect object pronoun always precedes the direct object pronoun, except when the indirect object pronoun loro/Loro is used. The following chart outlines the indirect/direct double object pronoun combinations.

<tgroup cols="5"> <colspec colname="col1" colnum="1" colwidth="20%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="center"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="2" colwidth="20%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="center"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="3" colwidth="20%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="center"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="4" colwidth="20%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="center"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="5" colwidth="20%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="center"/> <thead> <tr> <entry namest="1" nameend="2"><p><emphasis>Indirect Object Pronoun</emphasis></p></td> <entry namest="3" nameend="4"><p><emphasis>Direct Object Pronoun</emphasis></p></td> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td><para/></td> <td><p><emphasis>+lo</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>+la</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>+li</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>+</emphasis>le</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>mi</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>me lo</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>me la</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>me li</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>me le</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>ti</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>te lo</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>te la</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>te li</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>te le</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>gli/le</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>glielo</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>gliela</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>glieli</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>gliele</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>ci</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>ce lo</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>ce la</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>ce li</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>ce le</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>vi</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>ve lo</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>ve la</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>ve li</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>ve le</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>loro</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>lo…loro</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>la…loro</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>li…loro</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>le…loro</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>gli/le</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>glielo</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>gliela</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>glieli</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>gliele</emphasis></p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <p>(the indirect object pronoun gli can also be used to mean “to them”)</p> <p>It is possible to use a direct object with a reflexive verb as well. Take, for example, the sentence <emphasis>Mi metto una cravatta.</emphasis> This sentence is reflexive, since I am putting something on myself, and it also has a direct object — <emphasis>una cravatta</emphasis> (necktie). It is possible to use both a reflexive pronoun and a direct object pronoun in the same sentence. If we were to substitute a direct object pronoun for this sentence, we would have <emphasis>Me la metto</emphasis> (I put it on). The following chart outlines the reflexive/direct double object pronoun combinations.</p> <table frame="all" width="100%"> <title/> <tgroup cols="5"> <colspec colname="col1" colnum="1" colwidth="20%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="center"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="2" colwidth="20%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="center"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="3" colwidth="20%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="center"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="4" colwidth="20%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="center"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="5" colwidth="20%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="center"/> <thead> <tr> <entry namest="1" nameend="2"><p><emphasis>Reflexive Pronoun</emphasis></p></td> <entry namest="3" nameend="4"><p><emphasis>Direct Object Pronoun</emphasis></p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td><para/></td> <td><p><emphasis>+lo</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>+la</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>+li</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>+le</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>mi</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>me lo</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>me la</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>me li</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>me le</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>ti</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>te lo</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>te la</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>te li</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>te le</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>si</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>se lo</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>se la</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>se li</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>se le</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>ci</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>ce lo</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>ce la</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>ce li</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>ce le</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>vi</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>ve lo</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>ve la</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>ve li</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>ve le</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>si</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>se lo</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>se la</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>se li</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>se le</emphasis></p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <h2>Exercise 14: Double Object Pronouns</h2> <p>Rewrite the following sentences, incorporating a double object pronoun.</p> <ul> <li><p><emphasis>Do il libro agli studenti.</emphasis></p> <p></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Io mi lavo la faccia ogni mattina.</emphasis></p> <p></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Mandiamo molte e-mail a lei.</emphasis></p> <p></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Mi presti la tua macchina?</emphasis></p> <p></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Ti regaliamo una nuova penna.</emphasis></p> <p></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Porto un regalo per i tuoi fratelli.</emphasis></p> <p></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Noi ci mettiamo una nuova cravatta.</emphasis></p> <p></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Preparano i dolci per me e per Lucia.</emphasis></p> <p></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Mio padre dà la mancia al cameriere.</emphasis></p> <p></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Ti scrivo le poesie.</emphasis></p> <p></p></li> </ul> <p>When using double construction verbs, you can either put the double object pronouns before the conjugated verb or attach them to the end of the infinitive. When attached to the end of the infinitive, the pronouns combine to form one word.</p> <p><emphasis>Te li do domani.</emphasis> <emphasis role="Bolditalic">I will give them to you tomorrow.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Posso darteli domani.</emphasis> <emphasis role="Bolditalic">I can give them to you tomorrow.</emphasis></p> <h2>Exercise 15: Double Object Constructions</h2> <p>Rewrite the sentence in the space provided using a double verb construction with <emphasis>dovere, potere,</emphasis> or <emphasis>volere,</emphasis> and a double object pronoun, as in the example: <emphasis>Ti do il libro stasera</emphasis> to <emphasis>Devo dartelo stasera.</emphasis></p> <ul> <li><p>Resituisco la penna a te.</p> <p></p></li> <li><p>Do la ricetta al farmacista.</p> <p></p></li> <li><p>Mostro i libri ai clienti.</p> <p></p></li> <li><p>Pietro offre un caffè a me e a Tommaso.</p> <p></p></li> <li><p>Loro portano la torta a mia madre.</p> <p></p></li> <li><p>Io e Gabriella spediamo i pacchi a te e a tuo fratello.</p> <p></p></li> <li><p>Ti consiglio un buon film.</p> <p></p></li> <li><p>Eugenio regala l'orologio a suo nipote.</p> <p></p></li> <li><p>Non chiedo soldi a mio padre.</p> <p></p></li> <li><p>Marcello chiede aiuto a te e a Michele.</p> <p></p></li> </ul>  <div id="pagination"><ul><li class="prev"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/italian-practice/indirect-and-direct-object-pronouns-demonstrative-adjectives/double-verb-constructions-with-object-pronouns.htm" title="Double Verb Constructions with Object Pronouns">Double Verb Constructions with Object Pronouns</a></li><li class="next"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/italian-practice/indirect-and-direct-object-pronouns-demonstrative-adjectives/demonstrative-adjectives.htm" title="Demonstrative Adjectives">Demonstrative Adjectives</a> </li></ul></div></div> <div id="coda"> <div id="rel"><div class="n5">Related Articles</div><ul> <li><a 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