Lo studente corre lentamente in giardino.

to run

Breakdown of Lo studente corre lentamente in giardino.

• in: in
• il giardino: the garden
• lentamente: slowly
• lo studente: the student

Questions & Answers about Lo studente corre lentamente in giardino.

Why is the definite article lo used with studente instead of the more common il?

In Italian, masculine singular nouns that begin with certain consonant clusters—such as an s followed by another consonant (like st in studente), z, ps, or gn—take the article lo rather than il. Since studente begins with st, lo studente is the grammatically correct form.

What is the function and conjugation of the verb corre in this sentence?

The verb corre is the third person singular present indicative form of correre (to run). It agrees with the subject lo studente and indicates that the running is happening right now.

How does the adverb lentamente function in the sentence, and where is it placed?

lentamente describes the manner in which the action is performed—it tells us that the running is done slowly. It is placed immediately after the verb corre, which is a common position for adverbs in Italian to modify the action of the verb.

Why does the prepositional phrase in giardino not include a definite article before giardino?

In Italian, expressions of location often omit the definite article when referring to a general or typical place. In this context, in giardino communicates “in the garden” without needing an article. This is similar to other expressions such as a scuola (“at school”) where the article is commonly dropped.

What is the overall sentence structure of Lo studente corre lentamente in giardino?

The sentence follows a common Italian word order:
• Subject: Lo studente
• Verb: corre
• Adverb: lentamente
• Prepositional Phrase (location): in giardino
This order clearly shows who is doing the action, what the action is, how it is being performed, and where it takes place.

Can the placement of the adverb lentamente be changed, and if so, what effect does that have?

Yes, the placement of adverbs in Italian can be flexible. While the standard position is after the verb (as in corre lentamente), you might rearrange the sentence to something like Lo studente lentamente corre in giardino. Such a change can subtly shift the emphasis on the manner of running; however, it generally does not alter the overall meaning.