Learn Italian language: La società italiana de TSR

Mi dispiace ma ho un'altra domanda regarda imperfetto vs passato prossimo.

I get that imperfetto is used for actions that continually happened for an indefinite time in the past, and habitual actions. Passato promiso is for actions that have some relation to the present, or occurred at a definite period of time.

Mentre guidavano la macchina, hanno ucciso un gatto.

"While they were driving the car, they killed a chicken"

Is is correct to use uccidere in the passato prosimo here? The above is how I wrote it, but then I guess I still haven't specified when they killed the chicken, and it doesn't have any relation to the present. Should the whole sentence be in the imperfect? But then the killing of the cat isn't really a continuous action, it's something that was completed.... think I'm making it more complicated than it is. Any help?

Yeah, you're definitely over-complicating it. Guidavano is in the imperfect because they were driving - it'd only be in the passato prossimo if they had driven somewhere - and it's hanno ucciso because they have killed the chicken. If you said "Mentre guidavano la macchina, uccidevano dei gatti", it'd be "They used to kill cats while they were driving the car", which is different. Also gatto = cat, not chicken.

...anyone know of any good websites that clearly explain all the different uses of "ci"?

"Ci" is killing my saturday.

Is that from Amazon?

Yes, it's a new law that has just been passed, that limits the discount on books...so from now on the maximum discount you'll ever get when buying a book is 15% off normal price.

And the beauty of it is that *no one* realized that this was underway... apparently it's part of a series of measures thought to face the crisis..idiots.

saddest thing I've ever seen

It just seems a silly rule. I'm guessing there isn't VAT on books in Italy like here (since my receipt says IVA 0.00) so I can't even see how the country benefits. All it seems to do is offer a small amount of protection to bookshops (and maybe publishers), but even then, if all the prices are the same, they've got to compete with other things.

Ci has a number of uses:

a) As a personal pronoun: i) Ci ha detto che è difficile; ii) Ci sposiamo domani.

b) As an indicator of place, and to avoid repetition: i) C'è/ci sono (there is/there are); ii) "Vorresti andare alla gelateria stasera?" "Vorrei andarci, ma sono già impegnata."

c) As an informal indicator of possession: i) "Hai una sigaretta?" "Sì, ce l'ho." (Ci is modified to ce because of the object pronoun)

d) In the place of 'con' or 'a': i) Uscire con qualcuno: "Quando esci con Giulietta?" "Ci esco domani." ii) Credere a: "Non ci credo!" (I don't believe it!) iii) Provare a: "Ci ho provato, ma..."

It can also be used to mean, "It takes 2 hours." "Ci vuole due ore."

I'll edit if I think of any other major uses!

Spero che quest'annuncio sia un scherzo :s

ah, non spaevo che non si puo mangia squacquerone in altre regione (abito a bologna). Se abitassi in un altre reigion, penso che lo mangerei tutti i giorni; mi piace molto.

(anyone, please feel free to correct my Italian. I think the above is a bit dodge).

Siamo vicinissimi - sono a Cervia. Squacquerone.