Italian conjugation explanation
Two answer boxes (split verb forms)
<p>Some Italian conjugation exercises ask for a single verb form but give you <strong>two answer boxes</strong>. This happens because the verb form is not written as one block in the sentence: another word drops into the middle and separates its two halves. You still answer with one verb form, only split across the two boxes.</p>
<p class="conjugation_explanation_title">Why it happens</p>
<p>Italian compound tenses are built from two parts: a conjugated <strong>auxiliary</strong> (<em>essere</em> or <em>avere</em>) followed by the <strong>past participle</strong> (for example <em>vestiti</em> or <em>mangiato</em>). The two parts normally stand next to each other, but a group of common adverbs (such as <em>già</em>, <em>mai</em>, <em>ancora</em>, <em>sempre</em>, <em>più</em> and <em>appena</em>) are normally placed <strong>between the auxiliary and the past participle</strong>, not before or after the whole verb. That adverb pushes the participle away from its auxiliary, so the exercise gives a separate box for each part. Reflexive and object pronouns (<em>si</em>, <em>mi</em>, <em>lo</em>, <em>ci</em>) stay attached in front of the auxiliary, so they belong in the first box.</p>
<p class="conjugation_explanation_title">What the [...] means</p>
<p>On the solution screen the full answer is written with <strong>[...]</strong> in the middle. You never type the [...]; it marks the gap between the two boxes. Everything before it goes in the first box, everything after it goes in the second box, and the word in the gap is already printed in the sentence.</p>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">I ragazzi si <strong>saranno</strong> già <strong>vestiti</strong> per la cerimonia.</div>
<p class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">"The boys will already have got dressed for the ceremony." The solution shows <strong>si saranno [...] vestiti</strong>: type <strong>si saranno</strong> in the first box and <strong>vestiti</strong> in the second. The adverb <em>già</em> stays in the sentence.</p>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Marco <strong>ha</strong> sempre <strong>mangiato</strong> qui.</div>
<p class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">"Marco has always eaten here." Type <strong>ha</strong> in the first box and <strong>mangiato</strong> in the second; the adverb <em>sempre</em> is already in the sentence.</p>
<p class="conjugation_explanation_title">How to answer</p>
<p>Put the auxiliary (together with any reflexive or object pronouns) in the first box and the past participle in the second box. The adverb in the middle is already printed in the sentence, so you do not type it. Remember that the past participle may change its ending to agree in gender and number (<em>vestito</em>, <em>vestita</em>, <em>vestiti</em>, <em>vestite</em>).</p>