Breakdown of Avevamo chiesto all’ingegnere un suggerimento sul progetto.
noi
we
il progetto
the project
chiedere
to ask
su
about
all'
to
l'ingegnere
the engineer
il suggerimento
the suggestion
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Questions & Answers about Avevamo chiesto all’ingegnere un suggerimento sul progetto.
What is the tense of avevamo chiesto and how is it formed?
Avevamo chiesto is the trapassato prossimo (past perfect). You form it with the imperfect of the auxiliary verb avere (avevamo) plus the past participle of chiedere (chiesto). It translates as we had asked, indicating an action completed before another past reference.
When should I use the trapassato prossimo instead of the passato prossimo?
Use the trapassato prossimo to describe an event that happened before another past event or context. The passato prossimo (e.g. abbiamo chiesto) simply states that an action occurred in the past, without anchoring it relative to another past moment.
Why is it all’ingegnere and not just l’ingegnere?
The verb chiedere requires an indirect object introduced by a: chiedere qualcosa a qualcuno. Here a + l’ (the) contracts to all’, so all’ingegnere means “to the engineer.”
What does sul mean in suggerimento sul progetto?
Sul is the contraction of su + il, literally “on the.” In this context, it means about the project or on the project—you asked for advice regarding that project.
Why is there an indefinite article un before suggerimento?
Because you’re asking for a suggestion (one among many), not referring to a specific suggestion known to both speaker and listener. The indefinite article un signals “any single suggestion.”
Can you swap the order of all’ingegnere and un suggerimento?
Yes. Both Avevamo chiesto all’ingegnere un suggerimento and Avevamo chiesto un suggerimento all’ingegnere are correct. The first order slightly emphasizes whom you asked, the second emphasizes what you asked for.
How would I replace all’ingegnere and un suggerimento with pronouns?
Un suggerimento (direct object) becomes lo, all’ingegnere (indirect object) becomes gli. Combined, you get glielo avevamo chiesto (we had asked him for it). You can add sul progetto if you need to specify the context.
What’s the difference between suggerimento sul progetto and suggerimento per il progetto?
- Sul progetto (on/about the project) highlights the topic or content of your advice.
- Per il progetto (for the project) emphasizes the purpose or benefit of that advice to the project. Both are correct but focus on slightly different aspects.