Chapter 1: Due mesi dopo | Speak and Write Italian, Volume II

Chapter Overview and Objectives

When you left Marco at the end of Volume I, he had just finished his first week in Rome. Two months have now passed. His Italian has grown the way yours has: he can do more, notice more, and talk about people and things without repeating full nouns every time. This chapter opens Volume II by widening two systems you already have a foothold in — irregular present-tense verbs and object reference — so that your Italian starts to sound less like a list of separate sentences and more like connected, independent speech. By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

Use a broader set of irregular present-tense verbs, including uscire, dire, dare, and the contrast between sapere and conoscere.
Use direct object pronouns (lo, la, li, le) productively to avoid repeating a noun already mentioned.
Describe changes in a routine or living situation over a period of weeks.
Ask and answer questions about people and things using object pronouns in short exchanges.
Read and understand a longer connected update without translating word by word.
Write several linked sentences describing a changed routine, using object pronouns at least twice.

Communication Scenario

Marco has decided to extend his stay in Rome for several more months. He has settled into the neighborhood, sees Elena and other neighbors regularly, and has started noticing habits and people he did not have language for during his first week. This chapter follows Marco as he explains what has changed, describes new people in his life, and starts referring back to things and people without repeating their names every time.

You will read and listen to Marco discussing his decision to stay longer and the small routines that have changed.
You will then describe a routine of your own that has changed over time, using the same tools Marco uses.

Where This Chapter Fits

Chapter 1 opens Unit I of Volume II, Ripartire da Roma. It does not reintroduce the Italian alphabet, basic greetings, core articles, or first-introduction grammar from Volume I. Instead, it assumes the full Volume I system is in place and begins expanding two of its most limited corners: the range of irregular present-tense verbs and the productive use of object pronouns, which were only receptive by the end of Volume I.

Coming Into This Chapter

You can introduce yourself, describe routines and places, order and shop, get around a city, narrate simple completed events with passato prossimo, and recognize (but not yet productively place) direct object pronouns such as lo, la, li, and le.

In This Chapter

You will expand your irregular present-tense verbs and begin using direct object pronouns productively in short, controlled sentences.

Looking Forward

Later chapters in this unit will add indirect object pronouns, expand reflexive verbs beyond routine contexts, and introduce the imperfect tense for background description and habitual past.

Vocabolario — Core Vocabulary

Core Vocabulary

This chapter introduces a small set of new verbs and connector words. Everything else recycles vocabulary from Volume I.

Italian	English
uscire (esco, esci, esce, usciamo, uscite, escono)	to go out
dire (dico, dici, dice, diciamo, dite, dicono)	to say, to tell
dare (do, dai, dà, diamo, date, danno)	to give
sapere (so, sai, sa, sappiamo, sapete, sanno)	to know (a fact, how to)
conoscere (conosco, conosci, conosce, conosciamo, conoscete, conoscono)	to know (a person or place)

Italian	English
ormai	by now, at this point
da due mesi	for two months (and still going)
quasi ogni giorno	almost every day
di solito / ogni tanto	usually / every so often
rispetto a prima	compared to before

Reminder: the verbs andare, venire, fare, and stare, along with the modal verbs potere, volere, and dovere, are recycled from Volume I. This chapter does not reteach them, but it does expect you to use them alongside the new verbs above.

Pronunciation Focus

Pronunciation Focus — stress in new irregular verbs

Watch the stress pattern in esco, dico, and conosco: the stress falls on the first syllable in the io form, not on the ending, even though English speakers often want to stress the final syllable of an unfamiliar verb. Practice saying ESS-ko, DEE-ko, and ko-NO-sko aloud before using these verbs in a sentence.

1.1 Review: elision before object pronouns

When lo or la comes directly before a vowel sound, spoken Italian often elides them, as in lo apro becoming l'apro in fast connected speech. In this chapter, keep the full form in careful writing and controlled speaking, and simply notice the reduced form when you hear it.

1.2 Review: unstressed pronoun placement and rhythm

Object pronouns are unstressed and lean on the verb that follows. Practice saying short pairs such as Lo vedo and La conosco without placing extra stress on the pronoun itself.

Grammar and Sentence Patterns

Language Focus — expanding irregular present-tense verbs

Volume I gave you andare, venire, fare, and stare. This chapter adds four more high-frequency irregular verbs you need for ordinary independent conversation: uscire, dire, dare, and the pair sapere/conoscere.

Verb	io / tu / lui-lei	Example
uscire	esco / esci / esce	Esco quasi ogni sera con Elena e gli altri vicini.
dire	dico / dici / dice	Elena dice che il quartiere cambia molto la sera.
dare	do / dai / dà	Do sempre un'occhiata al mercato prima di tornare a casa.

Meaning and use — sapere vs. conoscere: use sapere for facts, information, and abilities (So che il mercato chiude alle due), and conoscere for people, places, and things you are familiar with (Conosco bene questo quartiere ormai). English "to know" covers both meanings, but Italian requires you to choose.

Language Focus — direct object pronouns become productive

In Volume I, lo, la, li, and le appeared only for recognition. This chapter activates them for controlled production. A direct object pronoun replaces a noun that has already been mentioned, and it normally comes directly before a conjugated verb.

Pronoun	Replaces	Example
lo	masculine singular	Vedo Marco ogni giorno. Lo vedo anche stasera.
la	feminine singular	Conosco Elena da due mesi. La conosco bene ormai.
li	masculine/mixed plural	Ho i biglietti. Li ho comprati ieri.
le	feminine plural	Faccio le spese al mercato. Le faccio ogni sabato.

Form note: in passato prossimo, the past participle agrees with a preceding direct object pronoun, as in Li ho comprati and Le ho fatte. This chapter introduces this agreement only in the high-frequency examples above; it does not require full independent control of every agreement pattern yet.

Everything else in this chapter — present-tense regular verbs, c'è/ci sono, articles, adjective agreement, passato prossimo with both auxiliaries, and discourse connectors — is recycled exactly as it was taught in Volume I. No other new system is introduced here.

Model Dialogue

Setting: Two months after his arrival, Marco runs into Elena at the market on a Saturday morning.

Elena Marco! Sei ancora qui! Pensavo che restassi solo un mese. MAR-ko! SEH-ee an-KO-ra kwee! Pen-SA-vo keh res-TAS-see SO-lo oon MEH-zeh. Marco! You're still here! I thought you were only staying a month.

Marco Sì, ma alla fine ho deciso di restare. Ormai conosco il quartiere e lo conosco anche meglio di prima. See, ma AL-la FEE-neh o deh-CHEE-zo dee res-TA-reh. OR-ma-ee ko-NOS-ko eel kwar-TYEH-reh eh lo ko-NOS-ko AN-keh MEL-yo dee PREE-ma. Yes, but in the end I decided to stay. By now I know the neighborhood, and I know it even better than before.

Elena Sai già dove fare la spesa migliore, immagino! SAH-ee JA DO-veh FA-reh la SPEH-za mee-LYO-reh, eem-ma-JEE-no! You already know where to do the best shopping, I imagine!

Marco Certo! Compro le verdure da questo signore ogni sabato. Le compro sempre qui perché sono più fresche. CHER-to! KOM-pro leh ver-DOO-reh da kwes-to seen-YO-reh OY-nee SA-ba-to. Leh KOM-pro SEM-preh kwee per-KEH SO-no pyoo FRES-keh. Of course! I buy the vegetables from this man every Saturday. I always buy them here because they're fresher.

Elena E il tuo collega, quello con la macchina rotta? Lo conosci meglio adesso? Eh eel TOO-o kol-LEH-ga, KWEL-lo kon la MAK-kee-na ROT-ta? Lo ko-NO-shee MEL-yo a-DES-so? And your colleague, the one with the broken car? Do you know him better now?

Marco Sì, lo conosco molto meglio! Adesso usciamo qualche volta dopo il lavoro. Dice sempre che devo imparare di più sui quartieri di Roma. See, lo ko-NOS-ko MOL-to MEL-yo! A-DES-so oo-SHA-mo KWAL-keh VOL-ta DO-po eel la-VO-ro. DEE-cheh SEM-preh keh DEH-vo eem-pa-RA-reh dee PYOO SOO-ee kwar-TYEH-ree dee RO-ma. Yes, I know him much better! Now we go out sometimes after work. He always says I need to learn more about Rome's neighborhoods.

Domande di comprensione — Comprehension questions:

Why is Elena surprised to see Marco?
What does Marco say has changed about his relationship with his colleague?
Find two sentences in which Marco replaces a noun with a direct object pronoun. What noun does each pronoun replace?

Guided Practice

Esercizio 1 — Complete each sentence with the correct present-tense form of the verb in parentheses:

Marco ______ (uscire) quasi ogni sera con gli amici.
Elena ______ (dire) che il quartiere è cambiato molto.
Io ______ (sapere) dove si trova il mercato migliore.
Noi ______ (conoscere) bene questo quartiere ormai.

Esercizio 2 — Rewrite each sentence, replacing the underlined noun with the correct direct object pronoun:

Marco conosce Elena da due mesi.
Compro le verdure ogni sabato.
Ho comprato i biglietti ieri.
Vedo Marco ogni giorno al mercato.

Esercizio 3 — Choose sapere or conoscere and give the correct form:

Marco ______ bene Elena.
Io non ______ a che ora chiude il mercato.
Loro ______ molti ristoranti in questo quartiere.

Listening Practice

Ask an instructor, study partner, or fluent Italian speaker to read the passage below aloud, at a natural pace, twice.

If no speakers are available, this is a Listening Script for Independent Use. Read it aloud yourself, slowly at first, then at a more natural pace. Any spoken model should be verified by a fluent Italian speaker before being treated as a pronunciation standard.

Due mesi dopo — Two months later:
"Marco vive a Roma da due mesi ormai, e conosce il quartiere molto meglio di prima. Esce quasi ogni sera, di solito con Elena o con un collega di lavoro. Il collega si chiama Paolo, e Marco lo conosce meglio adesso rispetto a prima: escono insieme dopo il lavoro e parlano di calcio, di cibo e di Roma. Marco sa già dove fare la spesa migliore: compra le verdure da un signore al mercato, e le compra sempre lì perché dice che sono più fresche. Ogni tanto scrive ancora email alla sua famiglia, ma ormai le scrive meno spesso, perché ha meno tempo libero e più amici qui a Roma."

Compito di ascolto — Listening task:

Question	Answer
Who is Paolo, and how has Marco's relationship with him changed?	______
Where does Marco buy vegetables, and why does he always buy them there?	______
What has changed about how often Marco writes to his family, and why?	______

Speaking Practice

Pratica controllata — Controlled practice: answer as Marco

With a partner, take turns asking and answering questions about Marco's life two months in, using the listening passage as a reference and practicing the new irregular verbs and object pronouns.

Compito comunicativo — Communicative task: something that has changed for you

In pairs or small groups, describe a routine, habit, or relationship of yours that has changed over the past two months. Use at least one new irregular verb from this chapter and at least two direct object pronouns referring back to people or things you have already named. Your partner should ask at least two follow-up questions.

Pratica da solo — Solo alternative

Record yourself describing how your own routine has changed recently, checking that you use lo, la, li, or le at least twice instead of repeating a noun.

Reading Practice

Read the message below aloud, sounding out each Italian word slowly.

Un messaggio di Marco a un amico — A message from Marco to a friend

Ciao! Scusa se non scrivo spesso ormai, ma la vita qui a Roma è diventata più piena. Conosco il quartiere molto meglio di prima e, rispetto ai primi giorni, esco quasi ogni sera. Ho conosciuto un collega di lavoro, Paolo, e adesso lo conosco abbastanza bene: usciamo insieme dopo il lavoro quasi ogni settimana. Sai una cosa strana? Non conoscevo quasi nessuno quando sono arrivato, e adesso ho più amici qui che a casa. Continuo a fare la spesa al mercato: compro le verdure da un signore simpatico e le compro sempre da lui perché dice sempre la verità sulla frutta fresca! A presto, Marco

Hi! Sorry I don't write often anymore, but life here in Rome has become fuller. I know the neighborhood much better than before and, compared to the first days, I go out almost every evening. I met a colleague, Paolo, and now I know him well enough: we go out together after work almost every week. Do you know something strange? I barely knew anyone when I arrived, and now I have more friends here than at home. I keep shopping at the market: I buy vegetables from a nice man, and I always buy them from him because he always tells the truth about fresh fruit! See you soon, Marco

Domande di comprensione — Comprehension questions:

How has Marco's social life changed since he arrived?
Who is Paolo, and how does Marco describe their relationship now?
Find one sentence where Marco uses a direct object pronoun instead of repeating a noun.

Writing Workshop

Write a connected paragraph describing a routine, relationship, or habit of yours that has changed over the past couple of months, the way Marco's message does.

Compito di scrittura — Writing task: Write six to eight sentences. Include: at least two new irregular verbs from this chapter (uscire, dire, dare, sapere, or conoscere), at least two direct object pronouns referring back to something or someone already named, a comparison with how things were before, and at least one passato prossimo sentence.

Name the change. State briefly what has changed about your routine, habit, or relationship.
Introduce a person or thing. Name a person, place, or object once in full.
Refer back to it. Use lo, la, li, or le instead of repeating the noun.
Compare now and before. Use an expression such as rispetto a prima or ormai.
Add a completed event. Include one passato prossimo sentence with correct auxiliary choice.
Close naturally. End with a simple closing appropriate to your chosen audience.

Lista di controllo — Editing checklist:

New irregular verbs are conjugated correctly for the subject.
Direct object pronouns agree in gender and number with the noun they replace.
Past participles agree with a preceding direct object pronoun where required.
Auxiliary choice (avere or essere) in passato prossimo is correct.
Accents, apostrophes, and capitalization follow standard Italian spelling.

Culture and Communication

Culture in Context — becoming a regular

Building a relationship with a market vendor, café owner, or shopkeeper over weeks or months is common in many Italian neighborhoods, though how quickly this happens and how it is expressed varies by city, neighborhood, and personal style. Being recognized as a regular customer is a normal part of daily life, not evidence of unusual friendliness or unusual coldness on either side.

Culture in Context — colleagues becoming friends

The line between a work colleague and a friend can shift gradually, and going out together after work is common in many settings without implying a change in professional relationship. This varies considerably by workplace, region, and individual habit.

Common Mistakes

Common Mistake — confusing sapere and conoscere

Error: Saying So Elena to mean "I know Elena."

Correction: Use conoscere for people: Conosco Elena. Reserve sapere for facts and abilities, as in So dove abita Elena.

Common Mistake — placing the object pronoun after the verb

Error: Writing Conosco la instead of La conosco, following English word order.

Correction: In simple present and passato prossimo sentences, the direct object pronoun goes directly before the conjugated verb: La conosco, Li ho comprati.

Common Mistake — forgetting participle agreement with a pronoun

Error: Writing Le ho comprato instead of Le ho comprate when le replaces a feminine plural noun.

Correction: When a direct object pronoun comes before avere in passato prossimo, the past participle agrees with it in gender and number: Le verdure? Le ho comprate ieri.

Chapter Summary

In this chapter you widened two corners of your Italian that Volume I left only partly open: a broader set of irregular present-tense verbs (uscire, dire, dare, sapere, conoscere) and the productive use of direct object pronouns to avoid repeating a noun. You practiced these systems through Marco's continuing story, describing how his routine and relationships have changed over two months, and you applied the same tools to your own life. Everything else in the chapter — present tense, passato prossimo, articles, and connectors — is recycled directly from Volume I.

Chapter Review

Parte A — Comprensione (Comprehension)

1. Return to the model dialogue and answer in English:

Why is Elena surprised to see Marco?
How has Marco's relationship with his colleague changed?

Parte B — Grammatica (Grammar)

1. Complete with the correct form: Marco ______ (uscire) quasi ogni sera.

2. Replace the underlined noun with a pronoun: Compro le verdure ogni sabato.

3. Choose sapere or conoscere: Marco ______ bene Elena.

Parte C — Lettura (Reading)

1. Return to Marco's message and answer:

How has Marco's social life changed?
Who is Paolo?

Parte D — Scrittura (Writing)

1. Write a connected paragraph following the writing workshop steps above.

Parte E — Parlato (Speaking)

1. With a partner or recorded solo, describe something that has changed for you, using at least one new irregular verb and two direct object pronouns.

Practical Performance Task

Chapter 1 Performance Task — Due Mesi Dopo

Describe a Change Over Time

Complete the following four connected tasks in order.

Listen to the passage about Marco's life two months in and complete the listening table.
Read Marco's message and answer the comprehension questions.
Write a connected paragraph describing a change in your own routine, following the writing workshop steps.
Speak by describing the same change to a partner or recording a solo narration, using at least one new irregular verb and two direct object pronouns.

Criterion	What is assessed
Expanded irregular verbs	The learner uses at least two of the new irregular present-tense verbs correctly.
Direct object pronouns	The learner uses direct object pronouns correctly in place of previously named nouns.
Participle agreement	The learner correctly agrees the past participle with a preceding direct object pronoun in at least one sentence.
Sapere / conoscere contrast	The learner chooses the correct verb for facts versus people or places.
Connected comparison	The learner compares a current situation with a previous one using appropriate connectors.

This task assesses the two systems activated in this chapter only. It does not require the imperfect tense, indirect object pronouns, combined pronouns, articulated prepositions, or the imperative.

Answer Key

Model Dialogue — Comprehension

Elena is surprised because she thought Marco was only staying for one month.
Marco now knows his colleague much better; they go out together after work sometimes.
Sample: "Lo conosco molto meglio" refers back to "il tuo collega"; "Le compro sempre qui" refers back to "le verdure."

Guided Practice

Esercizio 1: (1) esce (2) dice (3) so (4) conosciamo

Esercizio 2: (1) Marco la conosce da due mesi. (2) Le compro ogni sabato. (3) Li ho comprati ieri. (4) Lo vedo ogni giorno al mercato.

Esercizio 3: (1) conosce (2) so (3) conoscono

Listening

Paolo is a work colleague; Marco now knows him better and they go out together after work.
Marco buys vegetables from a man at the market, always from the same person because he says they are fresher.
Marco writes to his family less often now because he has less free time and more friends in Rome.

Reading — Comprehension

Marco goes out almost every evening now and has more friends in Rome than at home.
Paolo is a work colleague Marco now knows well; they go out together almost every week.

Chapter Review — Parte B

esce
Le compro ogni sabato.
conosce

Looking Ahead

Cosa sai fare ora — What you can do now

You can use a broader set of irregular present-tense verbs, distinguish sapere from conoscere, and use direct object pronouns productively to refer back to people and things without repeating their names. You are beginning to sound less like a beginner reciting sentences and more like a speaker who can track what has already been said.

Andando avanti: Capitolo 2 — Continuing on: Chapter 2

Chapter 2 stays with Marco and Elena's circle of neighbors and introduces indirect object pronouns (mi, ti, gli, le, ci) alongside reflexive verbs used beyond simple morning routines, expanding your ability to describe how people relate to and communicate with one another.