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Quantifying Words by Ronald Glenn Wrigley, M.A.

As adjectives (modifying a noun), molto (very, much, many, a lot of), tanto (so much, so many), troppo (too much, too many), and poco (a little, little, few) each have four forms:

<tgroup cols="4"> <colspec colname="col1" colnum="1" colwidth="25%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="center"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="2" colwidth="25%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="center"/> <colspec colname="col3" colnum="3" colwidth="25%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="center"/> <colspec colname="col4" colnum="4" colwidth="25%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="center"/> <tbody> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>molto</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>tanto</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>troppo</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>poco</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>molta</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>tanta</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>troppa</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>poca</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>molti</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>tanti</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>troppi</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>pochi</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>molte</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>tante</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>troppe</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>poche</emphasis></p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <p><emphasis>Io bevo molto vino.</emphasis><emphasis role="Bolditalic">I drink a lot of wine.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Io bevo tanto vino.</emphasis><emphasis role="Bolditalic">I drink so much wine.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Io bevo troppo vino.</emphasis><emphasis role="Bolditalic">I drink too much wine.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Io bevo poco vino</emphasis><emphasis>. I drink a little wine./I don't drink much wine.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Io bevo molta birra.</emphasis><emphasis role="Bolditalic">I drink a lot of beer.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Io bevo tanta birra.</emphasis><emphasis role="Bolditalic">I drink so much beer.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Io bevo troppa birra.</emphasis><emphasis role="Bolditalic">I drink too much beer.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Io bevo poca birra.</emphasis><emphasis role="Bolditalic">I don't drink much beer.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Io leggo molti libri.</emphasis><emphasis role="Bolditalic">I read many books.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Io leggo tanti libri.</emphasis><emphasis role="Bolditalic">I read so many books.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Io leggo troppi libri.</emphasis><emphasis role="Bolditalic">I read too many books.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Io leggo pochi libri.</emphasis><emphasis role="Bolditalic">I read few books./I don't read many books.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Io leggo molte riviste.</emphasis><emphasis role="Bolditalic">I read many magazines.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Io leggo tante riviste.</emphasis><emphasis role="Bolditalic">I read so many magazines.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Io leggo troppe riviste</emphasis><emphasis role="Bolditalic">I read too many magazines.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Io leggo poche riviste.</emphasis><emphasis role="Bolditalic">I read few magazines./I don't read many magazines.</emphasis></p> <h2>Exercise 10: Molto, tanto, troppo, poco</h2> <p>Give the correct form of <emphasis>molto, tanto, troppo, poco.</emphasis></p> <ul> <li><p><emphasis>Noi abbiamo (molto) amici.</emphasis></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Mio padre ha (poco) pazienza.</emphasis></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Il mio capoufficio ha (poco) idee buone.</emphasis></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Non voglio mangiare (troppo) grassi.</emphasis></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Lui ha (tanto) cugini in Italia.</emphasis></p></li> </ul> <p>As adverbs (modifying an adjective or a verb), <emphasis>molto, tanto, troppo, and</emphasis> <emphasis>poco</emphasis> are invariable:</p> <p><B>Modifying an Adjective</B></p> <p><emphasis>La casa è molto bella.</emphasis> <emphasis role="Bolditalic">The house is very beautiful.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>La casa è tanto bella.</emphasis> <emphasis role="Bolditalic">The house is so beautiful.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>La casa è troppo piccola.</emphasis> <emphasis role="Bolditalic">The house is too small.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Luisa è poco intelligente</emphasis> <emphasis role="Bolditalic">Luisa is not very intelligent.</emphasis></p> <p><B>Modifying a Verb</B></p> <p><emphasis>Tu parli molto.</emphasis> <emphasis role="Bolditalic">You talk a lot.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Tu parli tanto.</emphasis> <emphasis role="Bolditalic">You talk so much.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Tu parli troppo.</emphasis> <emphasis role="Bolditalic">You talk too much.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Tu parli poco.</emphasis> <emphasis>You don't talk much.</emphasis></p> <p>All adjectives follow the noun when they are modified by the adverbs <emphasis>molto</emphasis> (very), <emphasis>poco</emphasis> (little, not very), <emphasis>tanto</emphasis> (so much), <emphasis>troppo</emphasis> (too much), <emphasis>abbastanza</emphasis> (enough, rather), <emphasis>un po'</emphasis> (a little):</p> <p><emphasis>Marco è uno studente molto bravo.</emphasis> <emphasis role="Bolditalic">Marco is a very good student.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Marianna è una ragazza poco simpatica.</emphasis> <emphasis role="Bolditalic">Marianna is not a very nice girl.</emphasis></p> <h2>Exercise 11: Adverbs</h2> <p>Rewrite the sentences, incorporating the adverbs listed.</p> <ul> <li><p><emphasis>Mio fratello è un uomo simpatico. (molto)</emphasis></p> <p></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Maria è una persona sincera. (abbastanza)</emphasis></p> <p></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Tu e Antonio siete ragazzi intelligenti. (poco)</emphasis></p> <p></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Lui ha dei cugini curiosi. (troppo)</emphasis></p> <p></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Lui abita in una bella casa. (tanto)</emphasis></p> <p></p></li> </ul> <h2>Tutto/a/i/e</h2> <p>When the adjective <emphasis>tutto/a</emphasis> is used in the singular, it means “the whole”; when used in the plural (<emphasis>tutti/e</emphasis>), it means “all” or “every.” The adjective <emphasis>tutto/</emphasis> <emphasis>a/i/e</emphasis> is always followed by the definite article.</p> <p><emphasis>Io studio tutto il giorno.</emphasis> <emphasis role="Bolditalic">I study the whole day.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Tutti gli studenti studiano molto.</emphasis> <emphasis role="Bolditalic">All of the students study a lot.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Io mangio tutta la pizza.</emphasis> <emphasis role="Bolditalic">I eat the whole pizza.</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>Tutte le professoresse insegnano tutti i giorni.</emphasis> <emphasis role="Bolditalic">All of the professors teach every day.</emphasis></p> <h2>Exercise 12: Tutto</h2> <p>Write the correct form of <emphasis>tutto</emphasis> + the definite article in the space provided.</p> <ul> <li><p><emphasis>Io studio sera.</emphasis></p></li> <li><p><emphasis> vini italiani sono buoni.</emphasis></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Ho letto racconti di Alberto Moravia.</emphasis></p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Mio fratello ha pulito casa.</emphasis></p></li> <li><p><emphasis> ragazze sono simpatiche.</emphasis></p></li> </ul> <h2>Ogni</h2> <p><emphasis>Ogni</emphasis> (each, every) is an invariable adjective and is always followed by a singular noun.</p> <p><emphasis>Ogni studente studia molto.</emphasis> <emphasis role="Bolditalic">Each (or every) student studies a lot.</emphasis></p> <p>You will see that this construction carries the same meaning as the following:</p> <p><emphasis>Tutti gli studenti studiano molto.</emphasis> <emphasis role="Bolditalic">All the students study a lot.</emphasis></p> <h2>Exercise 13: Each and Every</h2> <p>Rewrite the expressions using <emphasis>ogni</emphasis>.</p> <ul> <li><p><emphasis>tutti i ragazzi</emphasis> </p></li> <li><p><emphasis>tutte le case</emphasis> </p></li> <li><p><emphasis>tutte le bottiglie</emphasis> </p></li> <li><p><emphasis>tutti i giorni</emphasis> </p></li> <li><p><emphasis>tutti gli studenti</emphasis> </p></li> </ul> <!--/gc--> <div id="pagination"><ul><li class="prev"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/italian-practice/nouns-articles-and-adjectives/adjectives.htm" title="Adjectives">Adjectives</a></li><li class="next"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/italian-practice/nouns-articles-and-adjectives/lets-practice.htm" title="Let's Practice">Let's Practice</a> </li></ul></div></div> <div id="coda"> <div id="rel"><div class="n5">Related Articles</div><ul> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/italian-practice/nouns-articles-and-adjectives/quantifying-words.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> Quantifying Words - Italian Practice </a></li> <li><a href="http://beer.about.com/od/beerrecommendations/a/romanticbeer.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> Romancing the Stein - Can Beer be Romantic? </a></li> <li><a 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