Chapter 7: Un problema di orari | Speak and Write Italian, Volume II

Chapter Overview and Objectives

The tasks are divided, but two days later Rita gets a message that changes everything: the DJ she wanted can only play in the morning, not the evening the group had planned. Marco, Paolo, and Rita meet again at the bar, and this time the conversation is less about what each person is doing and more about who they need to tell, what they need to explain to whom, and what someone might say back to them. As they work out the new plan, they keep needing a different kind of pronoun — one that shows not what is acted on, but who receives an action: who they call, who they explain the change to, who might answer them. This chapter introduces that tool: indirect object pronouns. By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

Recognize and use the indirect object pronouns mi, ti, gli, le, ci, vi, and gli (plural) to say to whom or for whom something is done.
Distinguish indirect object pronouns from the direct object pronouns introduced in Chapter 6.
Place an indirect object pronoun correctly before a conjugated verb.
Use indirect object pronouns with high-frequency verbs of communication such as dire, scrivere, telefonare, chiedere, rispondere, and spiegare.
Explain a scheduling problem and renegotiate a plan using indirect object pronouns.
Identify and correct common English-speaker errors involving indirect object pronouns, including confusion with direct object pronouns.
Understand and retell a conversation in which a group solves a scheduling conflict.

Communication Scenario

Two days after dividing the festival tasks, Rita receives a message from the DJ: he is only free in the morning, not the evening the group had planned. Marco, Paolo, and Rita meet again at the bar to figure out who needs to be told, what needs to be explained, and what the new plan will be.

You will read and listen to Marco, Paolo, and Rita working out the scheduling problem.
You will then explain a scheduling change of your own — for an event, a class, or a group project — saying who you need to tell and what you will say to them, using indirect object pronouns.

Where This Chapter Fits

Chapter 7 continues directly from Chapter 6's account of dividing the festival tasks. It assumes full productive control of direct object pronouns and participle agreement from Chapter 6, sequencing connectors and prima di + infinitive from Chapter 5, and everything recycled from Volume I. This chapter does not reteach direct object pronouns; it adds a new, related tool — indirect object pronouns — for saying to whom or for whom something happens.

Coming Into This Chapter

You can already refer back to a thing or person already mentioned with lo, la, li, or le, and make the past participle agree with it in the passato prossimo.

In This Chapter

You will learn to say to whom or for whom something happens using mi, ti, gli, le, ci, vi, and gli, and to tell direct and indirect objects apart.

Looking Forward

A later chapter in this unit will bring direct and indirect object pronouns together, so learners can begin recognizing combined pronoun forms such as me lo and glielo.

Vocabolario — Core Vocabulary

Core Vocabulary

This chapter introduces vocabulary for explaining problems and renegotiating plans. Everything else recycles vocabulary from Volume I and Chapters 1–6.

Italian	English
un problema di orari	a scheduling problem
cambiare idea	to change one's mind
avvisare qualcuno	to let someone know, to give someone a heads-up
spiegare	to explain
rispondere	to answer, to reply
disponibile	available
in anticipo	early, ahead of time
rimandare	to postpone
un contrattempo	a setback, an unexpected complication

Italian	English
dire (a qualcuno)	to tell (someone)
scrivere (a qualcuno)	to write (to someone)
telefonare (a qualcuno)	to phone (someone)
chiedere (a qualcuno)	to ask (someone)
mandare un messaggio (a qualcuno)	to send a message (to someone)

Reminder: direct object pronouns and participle agreement from Chapter 6, sequencing connectors and the interruption pattern from Chapter 5, and passato prossimo/imperfetto formation from Volume I are recycled here, not retaught.

Pronunciation Focus

Pronunciation Focus — gli as a pronoun versus gli in spelling

Learners already know gli as the plural article and as the digraph in words like famiglia. As the indirect object pronoun meaning "to him," gli is pronounced the same soft way — never like the English "g" in "glue." Practice keeping gli telefono light and unstressed on the pronoun, with the stress falling on te-LE-fo-no.

7.1 Linking ci and vi smoothly before a verb

Ci ("to us") and vi ("to you all") attach tightly to the following verb with no pause, just like the direct object pronouns from Chapter 6: ci dice, vi scrivo. Do not insert an English-style pause between the pronoun and the verb.

7.2 Distinguishing le (direct, "them," feminine plural) from le (indirect, "to her")

The same written form le can be a direct object pronoun (Chapter 6: le sedie... le porta Marco) or an indirect object pronoun ("to her": le scrivo un messaggio). Context and the surrounding verb tell you which one you are hearing; listen for whether the verb takes a direct object ("bring what?") or an indirect one ("write to whom?").

Grammar and Sentence Patterns

Language Focus — indirect object pronouns

An indirect object answers the question "to whom?" or "for whom?" Many Italian verbs of communication — dire, scrivere, telefonare, chiedere, rispondere, spiegare — normally take an indirect object: you say something to someone, not simply "do" that person.

Pronoun	Meaning	Example
mi	to/for me	Mi scrive un messaggio.
ti	to/for you (informal)	Ti telefono stasera.
gli	to/for him	Gli spiego il problema.
le	to/for her	Le chiedo se è libera.
ci	to/for us	Ci dice la verità.
vi	to/for you all	Vi rispondo domani.
gli	to/for them	Gli telefono più tardi.

Placement: like direct object pronouns, indirect object pronouns go directly before a conjugated verb: Gli telefono (I'll call him), not Telefono gli. In contemporary standard Italian, gli has largely replaced the more formal loro ("to them") in everyday speech; loro still appears in careful or formal writing, placed after the verb, and is introduced here only as a recognition form.

Language Focus — direct versus indirect: telling the two apart

The clearest test is the question the pronoun answers. If the verb answers "what?" or "whom?" directly, use a direct object pronoun (Chapter 6). If it answers "to whom?" or "for whom?", use an indirect object pronoun (this chapter):

Italian	Question answered	Pronoun type
Chiamo Rita. → La chiamo.	Whom do I call?	Direct
Telefono a Rita. → Le telefono.	To whom do I phone?	Indirect
Vedo Marco. → Lo vedo.	Whom do I see?	Direct
Scrivo a Marco. → Gli scrivo.	To whom do I write?	Indirect

Notice that telefonare, scrivere, dire, chiedere, rispondere, and spiegare all take a before a named person in Italian, which is the signal that the pronoun replacing that person will be indirect, not direct.

Language Focus — no participle agreement with indirect object pronouns

Unlike direct object pronouns (Chapter 6), indirect object pronouns do not cause the past participle to agree in the passato prossimo:

Italian	English
Le ho telefonato ieri.	I called her yesterday.
Gli ho scritto un messaggio.	I wrote him a message.
Ci ha detto la verità.	He told us the truth.

Compare Le ho telefonato (participle unchanged) with Chapter 6's Le ho prese (participle agrees with a direct object pronoun). This contrast is a common source of English-speaker error; see Common Mistakes below.

Everything else in this chapter — direct object pronouns and participle agreement, sequencing connectors, prima di + infinitive, and the internal formation of the imperfetto and passato prossimo — is recycled exactly as taught in Volume I and Chapters 1–6. No other new grammar system is introduced here.

Model Dialogue

Setting: Two days later, Marco, Paolo, and Rita meet again at the corner bar after Rita receives a message from the DJ.

Rita Ragazzi, abbiamo un problema. Il DJ mi ha scritto stamattina: è disponibile solo la mattina, non la sera. Ra-GAZ-zee, ab-BYA-mo oon pro-BLEH-ma. Eel dee-JEI mee a SKREET-to sta-mat-TEE-na: eh dee-spo-NEE-bee-leh SO-lo la mat-TEE-na, non la SEH-ra. Guys, we have a problem. The DJ wrote to me this morning: he's only available in the morning, not the evening.

Paolo Gli hai già risposto? Lyee AI ja rees-POS-to? Have you already answered him?

Rita Non ancora. Prima volevo parlarne con voi. Se vogliamo tenerlo, dobbiamo spostare tutta la festa alla mattina. Non an-KO-ra. PREE-ma vo-LEH-vo par-LAR-neh kon voi. Seh vo-LYA-mo teh-NER-lo, do-BYA-mo spos-TA-reh TOOT-ta la FES-ta AL-la mat-TEE-na. Not yet. First I wanted to talk about it with you. If we want to keep him, we have to move the whole festival to the morning.

Marco Alla mattina? Ma i negozianti aprono tardi la domenica. Devo chiedergli se possono aprire prima. AL-la mat-TEE-na? Ma ee neh-go-TSYAN-tee A-pro-no TAR-dee la do-MEH-nee-ka. DEH-vo KYE-der-lyee seh POS-so-no A-pree-reh PREE-ma. In the morning? But the shop owners open late on Sundays. I have to ask them if they can open earlier.

Paolo E le sedie? Mio cugino me le presta solo dopo le dieci, ha detto. Eh leh SEH-dyeh? MEE-o KOO-jee-no meh leh PRES-ta SO-lo DO-po leh DYEH-chee, a DET-to. And the chairs? My cousin only lends them to me after ten, he said.

Rita Allora forse possiamo cominciare alle undici, non troppo presto. Marco, tu gli telefoni oggi e gli chiedi degli orari? Al-LO-ra FOR-seh pos-SYA-mo ko-meen-CHA-reh AL-leh oon-DEE-chee, non TROP-po PRES-to. MAR-ko, too lyee teh-LEH-fo-nee OJ-jee eh lyee KYE-dee DEH-lyee o-RA-ree? So maybe we can start at eleven, not too early. Marco, will you phone them today and ask them about hours?

Marco Sì, gli telefono nel pomeriggio. E tu, Rita, rispondi al DJ e gli confermi le undici? See, lyee teh-LEH-fo-no nel po-meh-REEJ-jo. Eh too, REE-ta, rees-PON-dee al dee-JEI eh lyee kon-FER-mee leh oon-DEE-chee? Yes, I'll phone them in the afternoon. And you, Rita, will you answer the DJ and confirm eleven o'clock with him?

Rita Gli rispondo subito, così non cambia idea. E dobbiamo anche avvisare tutti gli altri — vi mando un messaggio di gruppo stasera. Lyee rees-PON-do soo-BEE-to, ko-ZEE non KAM-bya ee-DEH-a. Eh do-BYA-mo AN-keh av-vee-ZA-reh TOOT-tee lyee AL-tree — vee MAN-do oon mes-SAJ-jo dee GROOP-po sta-SEH-ra. I'll answer him right away, so he doesn't change his mind. And we also need to let everyone else know — I'll send you all a group message tonight.

Domande di comprensione — Comprehension questions:

What problem does Rita explain to Marco and Paolo?
What does Marco need to ask the shop owners?
Find one indirect object pronoun in the dialogue and say who it refers to.

Guided Practice

Esercizio 1 — Complete each sentence with the correct indirect object pronoun (mi, ti, gli, le, ci, vi):

Rita scrive un messaggio a Marco e Paolo. → Rita ______ scrive un messaggio.
Marco telefona ai negozianti. → Marco ______ telefona.
Il DJ risponde a Rita. → Il DJ ______ risponde.
Paolo chiede al cugino. → Paolo ______ chiede.

Esercizio 2 — Choose the direct (D) or indirect (I) object pronoun that correctly completes each sentence:

Le sedie? Paolo ______ prende domani. (le / gli)
A Rita? Marco ______ telefona stasera. (la / le)
I negozianti? Marco ______ conosce bene. (li / gli)
Al DJ? Rita ______ risponde subito. (lo / gli)

Esercizio 3 — Identify the error and correct it:

Telefono gli stasera. →
Le ho telefonata ieri. →

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.

Un problema di orari — A scheduling problem:
"Due giorni dopo la riunione al bar, Rita ha ricevuto un messaggio dal DJ: era disponibile solo la mattina. Rita ne ha parlato subito con Marco e Paolo. Se volevano tenere lo stesso DJ, dovevano spostare la festa alla mattina. Marco ha detto che doveva chiedere ai negozianti se potevano aprire prima del solito, e Paolo ha ricordato che suo cugino gli prestava le sedie solo dopo le dieci. Alla fine hanno deciso di cominciare alle undici. Marco ha telefonato ai negozianti nel pomeriggio, e loro gli hanno detto di sì. Rita ha risposto subito al DJ per confermare l'orario, così lui non cambiava idea. Poi ha mandato un messaggio di gruppo a tutti gli altri per avvisarli del cambiamento."

Compito di ascolto — Listening task:

Question	Answer
What time did the DJ say he was available?	______
What did Marco need to ask the shop owners?	______
What time did the group decide to start the festival?	______

Speaking Practice

Pratica controllata — Controlled practice: who do you need to tell?

With a partner, take turns asking and answering Chi devi avvisare? ("Who do you need to let know?") about a change of plan, answering with an indirect object pronoun each time instead of repeating the person's name.

Compito comunicativo — Communicative task: renegotiating a plan

In pairs or small groups, imagine a scheduling problem for an event or project of your own — a meeting that has to move, a deadline that changes, a reservation that falls through. Explain the problem and say who you need to tell, call, write to, or ask, using at least four indirect object pronouns. Your partner should ask at least one follow-up question about what you will say to that person.

Pratica da solo — Solo alternative

Record yourself explaining a scheduling problem and who you need to contact about it, checking that each indirect object pronoun is placed correctly and that you have not confused it with a direct object pronoun from Chapter 6.

Reading Practice

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

Il messaggio di gruppo di Rita — Rita's group message

Ciao a tutti! Vi scrivo per un aggiornamento importante: il DJ mi ha detto che è disponibile solo la mattina, quindi la festa comincia alle undici, non la sera come avevamo deciso prima. Marco ha già parlato con i negozianti e gli ha chiesto di aprire un po' prima del solito — gli hanno detto di sì. Paolo, il tuo cugino ti presta ancora le sedie dopo le dieci? Fammi sapere, così gli rispondo io se serve. Al DJ ho già confermato l'orario, quindi lui non cambia più idea. Scusate il cambiamento all'ultimo momento, ma penso che andrà tutto bene! A presto, Rita

Hi everyone! I'm writing to you with an important update: the DJ told me he's only available in the morning, so the festival starts at eleven, not in the evening like we had decided before. Marco has already talked to the shop owners and asked them to open a bit earlier than usual — they said yes. Paolo, is your cousin still lending you the chairs after ten? Let me know, so I can answer him if needed. I've already confirmed the time with the DJ, so he won't change his mind anymore. Sorry for the last-minute change, but I think it will all be fine! See you soon, Rita

Domande di comprensione — Comprehension questions:

What did Marco ask the shop owners, and what did they say back?
What question does Rita ask Paolo, and why does she need to know the answer?
Find one indirect object pronoun in the message and say who it refers to.

Writing Workshop

Write a connected paragraph explaining a scheduling problem and who you need to tell about it, the way Rita's message does.

Compito di scrittura — Writing task: Write eight to ten sentences. Include: at least four indirect object pronouns referring to people you need to tell, ask, call, or write to; at least one direct object pronoun from Chapter 6 for contrast; at least one sequencing connector from Chapter 5; and a natural closing.

Explain the problem. Say what changed and why it affects the plan.
Say who you need to tell first. Name that person, then refer back to them with an indirect object pronoun.
Say who else you need to contact. Use poi or nel frattempo to move between people, using indirect object pronouns rather than repeating names.
Mention something already resolved. Use the passato prossimo with an indirect object pronoun, remembering that the participle does not agree with it.
Add a closing. End with a simple closing appropriate to your chosen audience.

Lista di controllo — Editing checklist:

Each indirect object pronoun is placed directly before the conjugated verb.
The past participle does not change to agree with an indirect object pronoun in the passato prossimo.
Direct and indirect object pronouns are not confused with each other.
Sequencing connectors and prima di + infinitive are used correctly where relevant.
Accents, apostrophes, and capitalization follow standard Italian spelling.

Culture and Communication

Culture in Context — group messages and last-minute changes

Group messaging apps are a common way for friends and neighbors organizing an informal event to share last-minute changes quickly, often with a brief apology such as scusate il cambiamento before the new information. The tone tends to stay light and reassuring, even when the change is inconvenient, though the level of formality can vary by group and generation.

Culture in Context — negotiating with local shop owners

Asking neighborhood shop owners to adjust their hours for a community event is a normal part of organizing a street festival in many Italian towns and neighborhoods, and such requests are often made in person or by phone rather than through formal paperwork. Willingness to accommodate such requests varies by shop, season, and relationship with the organizers, and should not be assumed as automatic.

Common Mistakes

Common Mistake — placing the indirect object pronoun after the verb

Error: Writing Telefono gli stasera, following English word order.

Correction: The indirect object pronoun goes before the conjugated verb: Gli telefono stasera.

Common Mistake — making the participle agree with an indirect object pronoun

Error: Writing Le ho telefonata ieri, treating le as if it were a direct object pronoun that requires agreement.

Correction: Indirect object pronouns never trigger participle agreement: Le ho telefonato ieri.

Common Mistake — confusing direct and indirect object pronouns with the same verb pattern

Error: Writing La telefono for "I call her," treating telefonare as if it took a direct object.

Correction: Telefonare takes a + person and therefore an indirect object pronoun: Le telefono. Check whether the Italian verb takes a before a person; English "call someone" does not signal this, but Italian telefonare a qualcuno does.

Chapter Summary

In this chapter you were introduced to indirect object pronouns — mi, ti, gli, le, ci, vi, and gli — for saying to whom or for whom something is done, and you learned to tell them apart from the direct object pronouns of Chapter 6, including the fact that indirect object pronouns do not trigger participle agreement. You practiced this by following Marco, Paolo, and Rita as they solved a scheduling problem and renegotiated the festival plan, and applied it to a scheduling problem of your own. Everything else — direct object pronouns, sequencing connectors, prima di + infinitive, and tense formation — is recycled directly from Volume I and Chapters 1–6.

Chapter Review

Parte A — Comprensione (Comprehension)

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

What problem does Rita explain, and what solution does the group agree on?
What does Marco offer to ask the shop owners?

Parte B — Grammatica (Grammar)

1. Complete with the correct indirect object pronoun: Marco telefona ai negozianti. → Marco ______ telefona.

2. Choose direct or indirect: A Rita? Marco ______ telefona stasera. (la / le)

3. Correct the error: Le ho telefonata ieri. →

Parte C — Lettura (Reading)

1. Return to Rita's message and answer:

What did the shop owners agree to, and who asked them?
Find the sentence where an indirect object pronoun refers to the DJ.

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, explain a scheduling problem using at least four indirect object pronouns.

Practical Performance Task

Chapter 7 Performance Task — Un Problema di Orari

Explain and Resolve a Scheduling Problem

Complete the following four connected tasks in order.

Listen to the passage about the scheduling problem and complete the listening table.
Read Rita's group message and answer the comprehension questions.
Write a connected paragraph explaining a scheduling problem of your own, following the writing workshop steps.
Speak by explaining the same problem with a partner or recording a solo narration, using indirect object pronouns correctly.

Criterion	What is assessed
Pronoun selection	The learner chooses the correct indirect object pronoun (mi, ti, gli, le, ci, vi) for the person referred to.
Pronoun placement	The learner places the indirect object pronoun before the conjugated verb.
Direct/indirect distinction	The learner correctly distinguishes indirect object pronouns from direct object pronouns and does not apply participle agreement to an indirect object pronoun.
Retained systems	The learner correctly uses at least one sequencing connector or direct object pronoun from earlier chapters.
Task organization	The learner clearly explains the problem and who needs to be told about it.

This task assesses the indirect object pronoun system activated in this chapter. It does not require combined pronoun forms or pronoun placement with infinitives or imperatives.

Answer Key

Model Dialogue — Comprehension

The DJ is only available in the morning, not the evening; the group agrees to start the festival at eleven in the morning.
Marco offers to ask the shop owners whether they can open earlier than usual.
Sample: "Gli hai già risposto?" — "gli" refers to the DJ mentioned earlier in the conversation.

Guided Practice

Esercizio 1: (1) gli (2) gli (3) le (4) gli

Esercizio 2: (1) le (2) le (3) li (4) gli

Esercizio 3: (1) Error: indirect object pronoun placed after the verb. Correction: Gli telefono stasera. (2) Error: participle incorrectly agrees with an indirect object pronoun. Correction: Le ho telefonato ieri.

Listening

The DJ said he was available only in the morning.
Marco needed to ask the shop owners whether they could open earlier than usual.
The group decided to start the festival at eleven o'clock.

Reading — Comprehension

The shop owners agreed to open a bit earlier; Marco asked them.
Rita asks Paolo whether his cousin is still lending him the chairs after ten, because she needs to know before responding to the DJ if the timing works.
Sample: "Al DJ ho già confermato l'orario" implies "gli ho già confermato" — the indirect object pronoun refers to the DJ.

Chapter Review — Parte B

Marco gli telefona.
le
Le ho telefonato ieri.

Looking Ahead

Cosa sai fare ora — What you can do now

You can now say to whom or for whom something is done using indirect object pronouns, place them correctly before the verb, and keep them separate from the direct object pronouns and participle agreement rules of Chapter 6. Combined with the sequencing and narration tools from Chapter 5, you can now explain a problem, say who needs to know about it, and describe how it was resolved.

Andando avanti: Capitolo 8 — Continuing on: Chapter 8

Chapter 8 follows Marco, Paolo, and Rita as the festival day approaches and small tasks start overlapping, bringing direct and indirect object pronouns together for the first time so learners can begin recognizing combined forms such as me lo and glielo.