Language for literary discussion
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Flip to reveal answersl'autore mostra… / la scena rappresenta…
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All 14 Flashcards — Language for literary discussion
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l'autore mostra… / la scena rappresenta…
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the author shows… / the scene depicts… (describing)
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il narratore ci dice che…
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the narrator tells us that… (describing)
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l'opera parla di…
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the work is about… (describing)
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questo suggerisce che…
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this suggests that… (interpreting)
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si può interpretare come…
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it can be understood as… (interpreting)
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simboleggia… / è una metafora di…
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it symbolises… / it is a metaphor for… (interpreting)
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questo crea un senso di…
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this creates a sense of… (effect / interpreting)
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secondo me… / trovo che…
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in my opinion… / I find that… (personal response)
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ciò che mi colpisce di più è…
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what particularly strikes me is… (personal response)
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mi identifico con … perché…
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I identify with … because… (justified personal response)
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How do you talk about what a text DOES — present or past?
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The literary present (il presente storico): «l'autore mostra…», «la scena rappresenta…», «Marta guarda la neve» — even though you read it in the past.
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How does the congiuntivo lift a literary opinion? Give two examples.
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It softens/hedges an opinion: «direi che il tema è…» (I would say…) and «credo che sia…» / «si potrebbe interpretare come…» — mature, tentative.
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How does the passive (il passivo) help in literary analysis? Give an example.
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It describes how the text is constructed without naming an agent: «La solitudine è rappresentata dalla finestra» (essere/venire + participio passato, agreeing).
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What is wrong with «il libro mi piace» in the oral?
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It's an unjustified opinion — it earns nothing. Justify it: «trovo il romanzo commovente PERCHÉ…» / «ciò che mi colpisce di più è… perché…».
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Full study notes for Language for literary discussion
Topic 8.2 hub
The literary individual oral
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Italian B exam skills
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