Explore Italian conjunctions like 'nè...nè', 'sia…sia', and 'o…o' in the context of organizing a family trip to the zoo, describing animals like il leone (lion), la giraffa (giraffe), and l'elefante (elephant). Learn practical phrases to talk about preferences and choices during your outing.
Listening and reading
Start this class by listening to the audio and completing the corresponding exercises.
Vocabulary (17) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Il deserto
The desert
2
Il rinoceronte
The rhinoceros
3
Il leone
The lion
4
La tigre
The tiger
5
Affascinante
Fascinating
Exercise 2: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 3: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Domani _______ sia il leone sia la tigre allo zoo.
(Tomorrow I will _______ both the lion and the tiger at the zoo.)2. Non _______ né il rinoceronte né l'elefante durante la gita.
(I will not _______ neither the rhinoceros nor the elephant during the trip.)3. _______ o all'acquario o alla giungla selvaggia.
(_______ either to the aquarium or to the wild jungle.)4. Sarà un'esperienza molto affascinante sia per i bambini sia per gli _______.
(It will be a very fascinating experience both for children and _______.)Exercise 4: Family trip to the zoo
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Ammirare - Admirare
Futuro semplice
- io ammirerò
- tu ammirerai
- lui/lei ammirerà
- noi ammireremo
- voi ammirerete
- loro ammireranno
Scegliere - Scegliere
Futuro semplice
- io sceglierò
- tu sceglierai
- lui/lei sceglierà
- noi sceglieremo
- voi sceglierete
- loro sceglieranno
Guardare - Guardare
Futuro semplice
- io guarderò
- tu guarderai
- lui/lei guarderà
- noi guarderemo
- voi guarderete
- loro guarderanno
Organizzare - Organizzare
Futuro semplice
- io organizzerò
- tu organizzerai
- lui/lei organizzerà
- noi organizzeremo
- voi organizzerete
- loro organizzeranno
Decidere - Decidere
Futuro semplice
- io deciderò
- tu deciderai
- lui/lei deciderà
- noi decideremo
- voi deciderete
- loro decideranno
Exercise 5: Le congiunzioni 'nè...nè', 'sia…sia', 'o…o'
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: The conjunctions 'nè...nè', 'sia…sia', 'o…o'
Show translation Show answersnè, sia, o
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
A2.20.2 Grammatica
Le congiunzioni 'nè...nè', 'sia…sia', 'o…o'
The conjunctions 'nè...nè', 'sia…sia', 'o…o'
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Ammirare to admire Share Copied!
Futuro semplice
Italian | English |
---|---|
(io) ammirerò | I will admire |
(tu) ammirerai | You will admire |
(lui/lei) ammirerà | he/she will admire |
(noi) amireremo/ammireremo | we will admire |
(voi) ammirerete | You will admire |
(loro) ammireranno | they will admire |
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Lesson Overview: Family Trip to the Zoo
This lesson explores the use of Italian conjunctions nè...nè, sia...sia, and o...o through the context of planning and describing a family trip to the zoo. It is tailored for A2 level learners aiming to improve their ability to coordinate ideas, preferences, and alternatives in conversational Italian.
Key Grammar Focus: Coordinating Conjunctions
The phrases "nè...nè", "sia...sia", and "o...o" are essential conjunction pairs used to link ideas, express choices, and emphasize inclusiveness or exclusions in Italian. Examples include:
- Vuoi andare o allo zoo o al parco naturale? (Do you want to go either to the zoo or to the nature park?)
- Possiamo vedere sia i leoni sia le giraffe. (We can see both the lions and the giraffes.)
- Così nessuno si annoierà, nè i bambini nè gli adulti. (So that neither the children nor the adults get bored.)
Conjunction Breakdown:
- O...o - Used to present alternatives or choices.
- Sia...sia - Used to express "both...and" inclusivity.
- Nè...nè - Used to express negation of both options (neither...nor).
Practical Content and Dialogue Examples
The lesson includes realistic dialogues simulating family conversations that organize a visit, describe animals, and talk about famous zoos in Italy. These provide valuable context to practice the conjunctions naturally:
- Choosing between the zoo or nature park.
- Discussing animals seen or not seen, using both negation and inclusion with nè...nè and sia...sia.
- Comparing and choosing between different Italian zoos for family visits.
Mini Story and Verb Practice
A short story about a family trip to the zoo enhances vocabulary and verb conjugation practice focused on future and present tenses, for example:
- Andare (to go): io andrò, tu andrai, noi andremo
- Volere (to want): io voglio, tu vuoi, loro vogliono
- Preferire (to prefer): io preferisco, tu preferisci, lei preferisce
This allows learners to consolidate grammar alongside thematic vocabulary.
Language Differences and Useful Phrases
In English, conjunctions like "either...or", "both...and", and "neither...nor" serve the same function but differ structurally from Italian.
Some useful Italian phrases to express preferences or alternatives include:
- Preferisco vedere... (I prefer to see...)
- Possiamo visitare o ... o ... (We can visit either ... or ...)
- Sia ... sia ... sono interessanti. (Both ... and ... are interesting.)
Mastering these will help learners structure more coherent and natural sentences when discussing plans and comparisons.