Discover the irregular stems in the Italian present conditional, such as essere → sar-, avere → avr-, and potere → potr-. Master common verbs like vorrei, dovresti, and sapresti to express polite wishes and possibilities effectively.
- The endings do not change; what changes is the stem of the verb.
| Cambio della base (Change of stem) | Esempio (Example) |
|---|---|
| Essere → sar- | Lei sarebbe un'ottima scrittrice. (She would be an excellent writer.) |
| Avere → avr- | Io avrei bisogno di un dizionario. (I would need a dictionary.) |
| Potere → potr- | Potresti consigliarmi un libro? (Could you recommend a book?) |
| Sapere → sapr- | Mi sapresti dire dov'è la libreria? (Could you tell me where the bookshop is?) |
| Venire → ver- | Tu verresti con noi in biblioteca? (Would you come with us to the library?) |
| Volere → vor- | Io vorrei andare oggi in libreria. (I would like to go to the bookshop today.) |
| Dovere → dovr- | Io dovrei cercare un libro. (I should look for a book.) |
Exercise 1: Il condizionale presente: i verbi irregolari
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
avrei, saresti, potrei, dovreste, avrebbe, potrebbe, saremmo, saprebbero
1.
Potere:
Io ... prestare la mia biografia.
(I could lend my biography.)
2.
Potere:
Lei ... restituire il dizionario domani?
(Could you return the dictionary tomorrow?)
3.
Essere:
Tu ... un ottimo autore di fiabe.
(You would be an excellent fairy tale author.)
4.
Avere:
Io ... bisogno di una rivista interessante.
(I would need an interesting magazine.)
5.
Dovere:
Voi ... cercare quella poesia in biblioteca.
(You should look for that poem in the library.)
6.
Sapere:
Loro ... dirmi dov’è la libreria?
(Would they be able to tell me where the bookshop is?)
7.
Avere:
Lui ... scelto un libro noioso.
(He would choose a boring book.)
8.
Essere:
Noi ... felici di aiutarti a ricercare.
(We would be happy to help you research.)
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct sentence that uses the present conditional of irregular verbs correctly in the indicated realistic situations.
1.
Form error: the correct conjugation of the imperfect subjunctive is 'venissi', not 'veniresse'. For the present conditional, 'verresti' is used. Then, in this context, the subjunctive 'venissi' is better.
Error in the modal verb 'volere': if you use the present conditional 'verremmo', the sentence requires the imperfect subjunctive 'volessimo' to express the condition. 'Vorrei' would be conditional, 'volessimo' subjunctive.
2.
Error in the conjugation of 'essere'; the correct form is 'sarei', not 'sarrei'.
Missing the preposition 'di' after 'sarei felice', which is necessary with the verb in the infinitive.
3.
Missing the conjugation in the present conditional, 'potresti' is needed.
Error in repetition; this sentence is correct and cannot be false. The incorrect sentence needs to be replaced to illustrate a common mistake.
4.
Repetition of the correct sentence as false; it needs to be replaced with a sentence that contains a real error related to the conditional or the construction of the infinitive.
Error in the construction: one says 'dirmi', not 'mi dire'.
