March 8, 2007

Episode 1:  Narrating in the past - Arlecchino Visits the King

Learners of Italian sometimes have a hard time picking the right verb tense when they are narrating past events, but it doesn't have to be difficult.   Today's episode, when Arlecchino visits the king, will help you understand the difference between the passato prossimo and the imperfetto.   Events that occur in a sequence that move the plot forward are expressed by the passato prossimo.   Events that give descriptive details or background information are always in the imperfetto.   Here comes Arlecchino – let's tune in and listen.

Audio

Download (right-click): ra_01.mp3  (MP3, 13:41, 8.02 MB)

• Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning • UT Austin • Contact: Contact: info@coerll.utexas.edu