Intermediate Italian: describing people

Introduction

In this free course, Intermediate Italian: describing people, you will learn vocabulary relating to physical description and personality, and practise describing and comparing people. You will also find out about the Italian author Natalia Ginzburg and have the opportunity to read an extract from one of her novels. Listening to Italian speakers describing people will enable you to practise listening skills and improve your pronunciation.

This OpenLearn course is an adapted extract from the Open University course L150 Intermediate Italian: Vivace.

An activity in this course uses an audio-recording tool. This may not work correctly in the Safari browser on Apple Mac computers. Please try another browser such as Google Chrome to run this.

Learning outcomes

After studying this course, you should be able to:

• describe people’s physical appearance and personality

• make comparisons using come / quanto and più di / meno di

• use reading skills in Italian

• imagine a character and write a short description of them.

1  Physical appearance

In this section you will work on describing people’s physical appearance in Italian.

Figure 1

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This figure shows a small group of young people, both male and female.

Figure 1

Describing people's faces

In this first activity you will work on the vocabulary and structures you will need to use in order to describe people.

Attività 1

Step 1

Listen and repeat.

Ascoltate e ripetete.

Download this audio clip.Audio player: l195r_b1_u2_aud030.mp3

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Transcript

Listen to the words used for features of the face and head.

1 la bocca

2 gli occhi

3 i capelli

4 il mento

5 la fronte

6 il sopracciglio

7 l’orecchio

8 il viso

9 i baffi

10 gli occhiali

End transcript

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Step 2

Match these words to the correct part of the face.

Abbinate le parole alla parte del viso a cui si riferiscono.

Figure 2

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This image is a close-up of a young man (in his late twenties). He has dark, curly hair, and a dark beard and a mustache. He is wearing spectacles.

Figure 2

i capelli

(a)

la fronte

(b)

il sopracciglio

(c)

gli occhi

(d)

gli occhiali

(e)

il naso

(f)

la bocca

(g)

la barba

(h)

Two lists follow, match one item from the first with one item from the second. Each item can only be matched once. There are 8 items in each list.

1. i capelli

2. la fronte

3. il sopracciglio

4. gli occhi

5. gli occhiali

6. il naso

7. la bocca

8. la barba

Match each of the previous list items with an item from the following list:

• a.(a)

• b.(e)

• c.(h)

• d.(f)

• e.(d)

• f.(c)

• g.(g)

• h.(b)

The correct answers are:

• 1 = a,
• 2 = h,
• 3 = f,
• 4 = e,
• 5 = b,
• 6 = d,
• 7 = g,
• 8 = c

Describing physical characteristics

In this activity you will work on the vocabulary and structures you will need for describing people, and practise the vocabulary you have just learned.

Attività 2

Select the answer for

Question 1a

here

Look at the image and decide whether the statements are true, false or whether the drawing does not provide the necessary information to understand if they are true or false.

Guardate l’immagine e decidete se le affermazioni sono vere, false o se il disegno non dà le informazioni necessarie per capire se sono vere o false.

Figure 3

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This is a drawing showing the face of a man. He is wearing spectacles, a borsalino hat and a trench. He has a dark moustache. On top of the portrait is written: ‘wanted’ and at the bottom: ‘John Brusca’

Figure 3

1 John ha i capelli ricci.

Vero

Falso

Forse

 

a. 

Vero

b. 

Falso

c. 

Forse

The correct answer is c.

Select the answer for

Question 1b

here

2 Ha i baffi.

Vero

Falso

Forse

 

a. 

Vero

b. 

Falso

c. 

Forse

The correct answer is a.

Select the answer for

Question 1c

here

3 Ha la barba.

Vero

Falso

Forse

 

a. 

Vero

b. 

Falso

c. 

Forse

The correct answer is c.

Select the answer for

Question 1d

here

4 Non porta gli occhiali.

Vero

Falso

Forse

 

a. 

Vero

b. 

Falso

c. 

Forse

The correct answer is b.

Select the answer for

Question 1e

here

5 Ha i baffi biondi.

Vero

Falso

Forse

 

a. 

Vero

b. 

Falso

c. 

Forse

The correct answer is b.

Select the answer for

Question 1f

here

6 Ha gli occhi neri.

Vero

Falso

Forse

 

a. 

Vero

b. 

Falso

c. 

Forse

The correct answer is a.

Select the answer for

Question 1g

here

7 È molto grasso.

Vero

Falso

Forse

 

a. 

Vero

b. 

Falso

c. 

Forse

The correct answer is c.

Understanding spoken physical descriptions

In this activity you will practise your listening skills.

Attività 3

Listen to the following audio clip, in which five students taking part in an online lesson describe themselves to the rest of the class. Match each person's name to the appropriate lettered drawing, according to the description given.

Ascoltate l’audio e abbinate ciascuna persona al disegno corrispondente.

Figure 4

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This is a drawing of five people. Left to right: (a) Tall man in his forty, he has dark, longish and wavy hair; he has a beard and a mustache. He is wearing spectacles, a white T-shirt and jeans. (b) Blond plump lady in her late forty, she is wearing a dress, jewlleries and she is carrying a handbag. (c) Bold man in his middle age, he has a brown mustache and he is slightly overweight. He is wearing a polo shirt and brown trousers. (d) Elderly man with white hair and a beard. He is wearing spectacles, a yellow shirt and a pink jacket and light green trousers. (e) Young girl (in her twenties). She has ginger, long curly hair tied up in a pony tail. She is wearing a tracksuit and is holding a tennis racket and ball.

Figure 4

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Transcript

Listen to the descriptions of these five people.

1 Mi chiamo Guido. Sono magro e piuttosto alto. Ho i capelli castani lunghi e la barba.

2 Ciao. Sono Luisella. Sono bionda e ho gli occhi neri. Sono una donna di mezza età, grassa e bassa.

3 Ciao. Mi chiamo Luca. Ho quarant’anni. Sono di altezza media, circa un metro e 70, e sono robusto. Sono calvo, ma ho i baffi neri.

4 Ciao a tutti. Mi chiamo Aldo. Sono anziano, ho settant’anni. Ho i capelli bianchi corti e porto gli occhiali.

5 Buonasera, mi chiamo Luciana. Ho trent’anni e sono molto sportiva, magra e forte. Ho i capelli rossi lunghi e ricci e gli occhi azzurri.

End transcript

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Guido

(a)

Luisella

(b)

Luca

(c)

Aldo

(d)

Luciana

(e)

Two lists follow, match one item from the first with one item from the second. Each item can only be matched once. There are 5 items in each list.

1. Guido

2. Luisella

3. Luca

4. Aldo

5. Luciana

Match each of the previous list items with an item from the following list:

• a.(a)

• b.(d)

• c.(c)

• d.(b)

• e.(e)

The correct answers are:

• 1 = a,
• 2 = d,
• 3 = c,
• 4 = b,
• 5 = e

In the next activity, you will continue working on useful vocabulary for describing physical appearance and will learn some colloquial expressions.

Attività 4

Marina is a tour guide, but today there is an extra person in her group of tourists, someone freeloading on the excursion! Read the descriptions of the participants and match them to the pictures to find which person is not described – that's the intruder!

Marina fa la guida turistica. Nel suo gruppo di turisti c’è una persona in più, un intruso! Leggete le descrizioni dei partecipanti alla visita turistica, abbinatele alle immagini corrispondenti e scoprite l’intruso.

Figure 5

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This is a drawing of 8 people. On the left there is a woman holding a closed umbrella up high, as a tour guide does. She is followed by seven people: (1) A good-looking  man in his thirties, with blue eyes and dark, longish hair. He is wearing a white T-shirt under a red shirt and green trousers. (2) A woman in her thirties. She has short blond hair. She is tall and is wearing a sleeveless yellow summer top and jeans. (3) A woman in her forties. She has blue eyes and dark, long curly hair. She is tall and slim and is wearing a ginger top and a long yellow shirt and high-heeled shoes. (4) An elderly man with a long white beard. He is wearing glasses, a white jacket and red trousers. (5) A man in his fifties. He is tall and slightly overweight he is wearing glasses and a yellow suit. (6) A young woman with long, straight ginger hair. She is wearing sunglasses, a green top and red trousers. (7) A woman in her late forties/early fifties. She has dark short hair, is wearing a white shirt and trousers and is carrying a handbag. She looks very sporty and casual.

Figure 5

• a.È alta, magra e molto bella. Ha i capelli neri, lunghi e ricci e gli occhi azzurri.
• b.È alto, un po’ grasso, ha i capelli e gli occhi castani e porta gli occhiali. Non è molto giovane ed è sempre elegante.
• c.È giovane, abbastanza alta, né magra né grassa, ha i capelli corti, biondi e gli occhi verdi. Porta quasi sempre i jeans.
• d. È una persona anziana, bassa, magra e calva. Ha la barba e gli occhiali.
• e.Non è né alta né bassa, abbastanza magra, ha i capelli neri, non è più giovane, ma ancora molto sportiva.
• f.È alto, magro, sportivo e attraente. Ha i capelli neri non molto corti e gli occhi azzurri.
• g.Questo/questa dev’essere l’intruso/l’intrusa!

(f)

1

(c)

2

(a)

3

(d)

4

(b)

5

(g)

6

(e)

7

Two lists follow, match one item from the first with one item from the second. Each item can only be matched once. There are 7 items in each list.

1. (f)

2. (c)

3. (a)

4. (d)

5. (b)

6. (g)

7. (e)

Match each of the previous list items with an item from the following list:

• a.1

• b.3

• c.7

• d.5

• e.6

• f.4

• g.2

The correct answers are:

• 1 = a,
• 2 = g,
• 3 = b,
• 4 = f,
• 5 = d,
• 6 = e,
• 7 = c

Who is the intruder?

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Answer

As you can see from the corrected answers, the intruder is person number 6.

Forming physical descriptions

In this activity you will continue practising vocabulary and structures you need for describing people.

Practising describing people

In this activity you will practise your spoken and written skills.

Figure 6

Listening to descriptions

In this activity you will listen to two people describing someone else.

Attività 7

Select the answer for

Question 1a

here

Listen and select the correct answer.

Ascoltate e selezionate la risposta corretta.

1

Download this audio clip.Audio player: l195_qu2_paolo_2.mp3

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Transcript

Descrizione (Paolo)

È alto, vivace, allegro e biondo.

End transcript

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How does Marina describe Paolo, her father?

He is lively, happy and has fair hair.

He is tall and has fair hair.

He is tall, lively, cheerful and has fair hair.

He is tall, cheerful and has fair hair.

 

a. 

He is lively, happy and has fair hair.

b. 

He is tall and has fair hair.

c. 

He is tall, lively, cheerful and has fair hair.

d. 

He is tall, cheerful and has fair hair.

The correct answer is c.

2

Select the answer for

Question 1b

here

Download this audio clip.Audio player: l195_qu2_simone_2.mp3

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Transcript

Descrizione (Simone)

È alto, vivace, sportivo e gli piace giocare a calcio, a golf, a tennis. Gli piace molto anche la musica: il rock!

End transcript

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How does Renata describe Simone?

He is tall, thin and sporty.

He is thin, lively and sporty.

He is tall, lively and sporty.

 

a. 

He is tall, thin and sporty.

b. 

He is thin, lively and sporty.

c. 

He is tall, lively and sporty.

The correct answer is c.

2  Comparing

In this section you learn how to compare people’s physical appearance.

Comparing people using più … di or meno … di

In this activity you will practise comparing two people using più … di or meno … di.

Attività 8

Look at each pair of photos and complete the statements using più or meno.

Guardate ogni paio di foto e completate le descrizioni utilizzando ‘più di’ o ‘meno di'.

Select the answer for

Question 1a

here

Figure 7 Emma and Giorgia

1 Emma è _______ bionda di Giorgia.

meno

più

 

a. 

meno

b. 

più

The correct answer is b.

Select the answer for

Question 1b

here

2 I capelli di Giorgia sono _______ lisci dei capelli di Emma.

più

meno

 

a. 

più

b. 

meno

The correct answer is b.

Select the answer for

Question 1c

here

3 Gli occhi di Giorgia sono _______ scuri degli occhi di Emma.

meno

più

 

a. 

meno

b. 

più

The correct answer is b.

Select the answer for

Question 1d

here

Figure 8 Alessandro and Giuseppe

4 Alessandro è _______ giovane di Giuseppe.

più

meno

 

a. 

più

b. 

meno

The correct answer is a.

Select the answer for

Question 1e

here

5 Alessandro è _______ elegante di Giuseppe.

più

meno

 

a. 

più

b. 

meno

The correct answer is b.

Select the answer for

Question 1f

here

6 Alessandro è_______ calvo di Giuseppe.

meno

più

 

a. 

meno

b. 

più

The correct answer is a.

Select the answer for

Question 1g

here

Figure 9 Matteo e Patrizia

7 La maglietta di Matteo è _______ colorata della maglietta di Patrizia.

più

meno

 

a. 

più

b. 

meno

The correct answer is a.

Select the answer for

Question 1h

here

8 I capelli di Patrizia sono _______ scuri dei capelli di Matteo.

meno

più

 

a. 

meno

b. 

più

The correct answer is b.

Select the answer for

Question 1i

here

9 La bocca di Matteo è _______ aperta della bocca di Patrizia.

meno

più

 

a. 

meno

b. 

più

The correct answer is a.

Comparing two people using come or quanto

In this activity you continue practising comparing people, using the expressions come or quanto.

First read the following explanation.

Practising comparing people

In this activity you will practise your writing skills and continue practising comparing two people.

Attività 10

Look at the characters and compare them. In what ways are they similar? Write at least five sentences.

Guardate i sei personaggi e confrontateli: in che cosa sono simili? Scrivete almeno cinque frasi.

Figure 10

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This is a drawing of three couples. From left to right: Serena: long ginger hair. She is wearing a short T-shirt and jeans. Peppe: bold, he’s wearing sunglasses, a white jumper and light green trousers. He is considerably taller than Serena. Both Serena and Peppe are slim. Michela, he has long dark hair. She is wearing a yellow shirt, red trousers and high-hill shoes she is as tall as Giulio. Giulio: has dark hair, he is wearing spectacles, a brown jacket and light-blue trousers. He is a medium-size like Michela. Raffaella: she has hort ginger hair. She is wearing a short yellow shirt and light-green trousers. She is slim and considerably bigger than Giacomo. Giacomo: is smaller than Raffaella, he is bold and he is wearing a bulky blue jumper and bulky red trousers.

Figure 10

Esempio

Giulio è alto come Michela.

or

Giulio è alto quanto Michela.

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Answer

Here are some possible sentences:

Serena è più piccola di Peppe.

Peppe è sportivo quanto / come Serena.

Michela è alta come / quanto Giulio.

Giacomo è meno alto di Raffaella.

Raffaella è più magra di Giacomo.

I capelli di Serena sono lunchi come / quanto quelli di Michela.

La maglietta di Raffaella è corta come / quanto quella di Serena.

Giulio è elegante quanto/come Michela.

3  Personality

How do say someone is lively or shy or clever...? In this section you will learn how to describe someone’s personality.

Listening to descriptions

In the following activity you will listen to someone talking about someone else.

Attività 11

Select the answer for

Attività 11

here

Listen and select the correct answer

Ascoltate l’audio e selezionate la risposta corretta

Download this audio clip.Audio player: l195_u2_la01_05.mp3

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Transcript

Mia sorella è una ragazza molto intelligente ma un po' timida e troppo sensibile.

End transcript

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She is very intelligent, but a bit shy and too sensitive.

She is very intelligent, but rather shy and too sensitive.

She is rather intelligent, but too shy and a bit sensible.

 

a. 

She is very intelligent, but a bit shy and too sensitive.

b. 

She is very intelligent, but rather shy and too sensitive.

c. 

She is rather intelligent, but too shy and a bit sensible.

The correct answer is a.

Describing someone’s personality

In this activity you will work on useful vocabulary and expressions to describe someone’s personality.

Understanding written descriptions

In this activity you will practise your reading skill with the help of some useful strategies.

Attività 13

Sara writes a diary entry every evening. Read the following page from her diary and answer the questions briefly in your own words.

Sara ogni sera scrive una pagina di diario. Leggete il seguente testo tratto dal suo diario e rispondete brevemente e con parole vostre alle domande.

Figure 11

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An extract of a diary page

Figure 11

Caro diario,

Stamattina sono andata a fare la spesa al supermercato qui all’angolo. Andavo di fretta, ma all’entrata del supermercato, ho trovato la signora Bassi, la portinaia, che mi ha bloccato per circa mezz’ora… La signora Luisella Bassi è una signora di più o meno settant’anni, bassa e grassa, ha i capelli grigi e gli occhi piccoli, piccoli, ma sempre attenti.

È la pettegola del quartiere: sa tutto di tutti e passa le giornate in portineria a parlare degli altri. È terribilmente curiosa. Incontrarla quando si ha fretta è una tragedia perché parla per ore!

Lasciata la signora, ho fatto la spesa e ho passato l’intera giornata a cucinare. Domani vengono a cena dei carissimi amici: Alì e Federica con il piccolo Leo, Simone con il suo nuovo fidanzato Riccardo e mia sorella Clara. Ti ho mai parlato di loro, diario?

Alì è un ricercatore marocchino, ha fatto un dottorato in Italia dove ha conosciuto Federica, una mia amica d’infanzia. Vivono insieme da nove anni e hanno un bimbo di sei, Leo, che fa la prima elementare.

Sono simpatici, allegri, molto generosi e sempre disponibili. Simone, un altro amico d’infanzia, ci vuole presentare Riccardo; sono insieme da ormai quattro mesi. Simone dice che Riccardo è un ragazzo molto intelligente e socievole, fa il giornalista e ha sempre qualche aneddoto da raccontare… proprio come Simone!

Come descrivere mia sorella Clara… è una persona molto estroversa e dinamica. Fa mille sport, ha molti amici e una vita sociale molto intensa. Ha molti corteggiatori perché oltre ad essere interessante e colta, è anche molto bella.

Faccio una pasta alla carbonara come primo e un pollo arrosto con patate e verdure come secondo. Speriamo di non bruciare tutto!

Domani ti racconto com’è andata la cena.

Buona notte, diario.

Sara

 

1 Chi è la signora Bassi?

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Answer

1 La signora Bassi è la portinaia di Sara.

2 Come viene descritta fisicamente e in quanto a carattere?

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Answer

2 È bassa e grassa, ha i capelli grigi, gli occhi piccolissimi, ma attenti. Ha circa settant’anni. Parla troppo ed è molto curiosa. È una pettegola e parla sempre degli altri.

3 Chi sono Alì, Federica e Leo e che cosa fanno?

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Answer

3 Alì, Federica e Leo sono amici di Sara. Alì è un ricercatore marocchino, ha conosciuto Federica, un’amica d’infanzia di Sara, mentre faceva il dottorato in Italia. Vivono insieme da nove anni. Leo è il loro figlio, ha sei anni e fa la prima elementare.

4 Come sono Alì e Federica?

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Answer

4 Sono simpatici, allegri, disponibili e generosi.

5 Chi sono Simone e Riccardo?

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Answer

5 Simone è un altro amico d’infanzia di Sara e Riccardo è il suo nuovo fidanzato.

6 Com’è Riccardo secondo Simone?

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Answer

6 Intelligente e socievole.

7 Com’è Clara in termini di personalità e aspetto fisico?

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Answer

7 Clara è estroversa, dinamica, interessante e colta. Ed è anche bella.

8 Che cosa ha fatto Sara oggi e che cosa fa domani?

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Answer

8 Oggi Sara ha fatto la spesa e cucinato. Domani ha amici a cena.

Practising describing people

In this activity you will practise your writing and speaking skills.

Attività 14

Mrs Bassi is a bit of a caricature. Imagine a busybody and chatterbox like her and describe his/ her physical aspect and personality. You might like to record yourself saying it, and listen to your recording. (About 100 words)

La signora Bassi è un po’ una caricatura. Immaginate una persona chiacchierona e pettegola come lei. Descrivete il suo aspetto fisico ed il suo carattere (aspetti positivi e negativi). (Massimo 100 parole)

Figure 12

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An elderly lady looking outside her window

Figure 12

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Answer

Here is a possible answer:

La signorina Valli è una chiacchierona. È alta e magra. Ha i capelli biondi e lisci, gli occhi azzurri e un naso lunghissimo. Ha circa 50 anni e vive da sola con due gatti. Esce poco, ma passa le giornate alla finestra a guardare la gente che passa, che entra e che esce. Sa tutto di tutti e parla solo degli altri. È molto curiosa, ma è anche una persona buona e disponibile. Se succede qualcosa, corre subito in aiuto. È generosa e ogni anno aiuta ad organizzare la festa di paese.

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Useful adjectives for describing people

In this activity, you will look at some useful adjectives.

Attività 15

Figure 13

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A group of six people sitting around the table having dinner. They are smiling at the camera.

Figure 13

During the meal Sara has arranged, she and her friends talk about some mutual friends. Complete the sentences by giving the opposite of the adjectives in bold.

Durante la cena, Sara, Alì, Federica, Simone, Riccardo e Clara parlano di amici in comune. Completate le frasi con il contrario dell’aggettivo sottolineato.

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4  Literary description

You now move on to more elaborate descriptions of people, as found in stories and novels.

Natalia Ginzburg

Description is an essential part of a narrative text, since it not only introduces the setting to the reader but also introduces characters and events. You will soon be reading a short descriptive extract from a literary text by Natalia Ginzburg.

Natalia Ginzburg

Figure 14

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A photograph of Natalia Ginzburg

Figure 14

Natalia Ginzburg was born Natalia Levi in Palermo in 1916. Her father’s family was Jewish and her mother’s was Catholic, but she was brought up an atheist. In 1919 the family moved to Turin, where the Levi household became a meeting place for many intellectuals who opposed Mussolini. Natalia studied at the University of Turin. In 1938 she married the political activist Leone Ginzburg. The Ginzburgs spent some years in Abruzzo, where Leone was sent into exile for political reasons, though they both went to Rome secretly to edit an anti-Fascist newspaper. Ginzburg’s first novel was published under a pseudonym because of the race laws. Leone Ginzburg was arrested and killed by the Fascists in 1944 and in the 1950s Natalia remarried and returned to Rome, where she began her most prolific period of writing.

Among her best-known works are Lessico famigliare (1963), an account of her childhood through her family’s sayings and phrases, and the play Ti ho sposato per allegria (1965). Ginzburg wrote about her personal experiences in a fictionalised form and many of her works are based on memories of her childhood and youth in Turin. She died on 7 October 1991.

First of all, you can do some vocabulary work to prepare you for the reading activity coming up next.

Scan-reading a text

In this activity you will read an extract from Natalia Ginzburg's novel La città e la casa, looking for specific vocabulary or expressions used to describe people.

Checking meaning

In this activity you have an opportunity to read the extract again, this time looking for background information.

Detailed reading

In this activity you will consolidate the vocabulary you have learned in the previous activities.

Opposites

In this activity you will expand your vocabulary by looking at words with opposite meanings.

Writing a description yourself

In this round-up activity you will have the chance to consolidate what you have learned in this course. You will practise writing a text using your imagination.

Attività 21

Look at the people depicted in the picture below. What do you think the relationship between them is? Describe their appearance and imagine what type of person they are. You may want to use the following table (which is the same as the one you used in Attività 17) to help gather the information to put in your piece of writing.

Guardate le persone nella foto e descrivete sia il loro aspetto che la loro personalità.

Figure 15

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Words: 0

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Here is a possible answer:

Answer

Giovanni ha circa sessantacinque anni, ha i capelli corti e grigi e porta i baffi. Lui è molto romantico e sensibile. Gli piace la musica tradizionale italiana e suona la fisarmonica. Qui è con suo figlio Andrea. Andrea è sempre molto elegante e affascinante; è un latin lover! È ancora abbastanza giovane, ha circa quarant’anni, è alto e porta i capelli lunghi come i calciatori o gli attori. Gli piace andare in palestra e in discoteca. Federico, ha 11 anni, non è né alto né basso per la sua età, è un po’ cicciottello ed è molto simpatico. Gli piace stare con i suoi amici e andare alle feste.

Conclusion

We hope you have enjoyed this free course, Intermediate Italian: describing people. You have learned how to describe both people’s physical appearance and their personality in Italian. You have also learned how to make comparisons and how to speed-read a text looking for meaning or specific information.

Finally you have been introduced to the work of the Italian author Natalia Ginzburg and have attempted to write your first literary text in Italian.

We hope you will now take the opportunity to use the language you have learned. Why don’t you find out about Italian communities near where you live?

Take the next step

If you enjoyed this course, why not explore the subject further with our paid-for short course, Beginners Italian 3: stai andando bene!?

Find out more about Beginners Italian 3: stai andando bene!

References

Acknowledgements

This free course was written by Anna Motzo.

Except for third party materials and otherwise stated (see terms and conditions), this content is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence.

The material acknowledged below is Proprietary and used under licence (not subject to Creative Commons Licence). Grateful acknowledgement is made to the following sources for permission to reproduce material in this free course:

Every effort has been made to contact copyright owners. If any have been inadvertently overlooked, the publishers will be pleased to make the necessary arrangements at the first opportunity.

Text

Extracts from: La città e la casa, by Natalia Ginzburg, Einaudi, 1984.

Images

Course image: © Hans F Meier/iStock

Figure 1: © The Open University

Figure 2: Ravi Tahilramani/iStockphoto.com

Figure 6: left: Ravi Tahilramani/iStockphoto.com

Figure 6: right: Keith Reicher/iStockphoto.com

Figure 7: © Anna Motzo

Figure 8: © Anna Motzo

Figure 9: Anna Motzo

Figure 13: © Davidaola in Flickr https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/ by-nc-nd/ 2.0/

Figure 14: Natalia Ginsburg/Getty Images

Figure 15: © Anna Motzo

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