IMPERSONAL CONSTRUCTION OF VERBS

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The impersonal verbs are verbs that don’t have a determined subject and that express the action without the need of a subject.

Example:
" Oggi piove. "

These verbs are used in implicit forms (infinitive, gerundive and participle) and only in third person singular.
They can be used with the third person plural, but only with a symbolic sense.

Examples:
" Comincia a piovere. "
In this example the impersonal form is used as implicit verb.

" È nevicato tutta la notte. "
In this example the impersonal form is used as the third person singular.

" Piovono applausi alla fine dello spettacolo. "
In this example the impersonal form is used with a symbolic sense at the third person.

There are also other cases of verbs or phrases that can be used impersonally.

These are the 4 main cases:

• verbs in third person singular with impersonal meaning  (sembrare, bastare, piacere, bisognare, occorrere, accadere, succedere, convenire)

  Example:
  "Sembra che il computer funzioni alla perfezione."

• verbs made impersonal by the particle si  (all the verbs can have this construction)

  Example:
  "Oggi in ufficio si parla di sport."

• phrases formed with the verb essere and a noun, an adjective or an adverb  (è una fortuna, è bello, è meglio)

  Example:
  "È importante che tu dica tutto quello che sai."

• verbs used in third person plural with a generic meaning  (all the verbs can have this construction)

  Example:
  "Oggi in ufficio tutti parlano di sport."

Attention:
These verbs are used regularly in all the times and moods of the conjugation and usually they use the auxiliary essere to form the compoound times.
The verbs with an atmospheric meaning (piovere, nevicare, tuonare) can use both essere and avere as auxiliary.

Go to: bastare > plurale_generico > si_impers

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