Breakdown of L’istruttore controlla ogni paracadute con estrema cautela.
ogni
every
con
with
controllare
to check
l’istruttore
the instructor
il paracadute
the parachute
estremo
extreme
la cautela
the caution
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Questions & Answers about L’istruttore controlla ogni paracadute con estrema cautela.
Why is there an apostrophe in L’istruttore instead of Il istruttore?
Because Italian drops the vowel of the definite article il before a word starting with a vowel. The i is omitted and replaced by an apostrophe: il istruttore → l’istruttore.
What tense and person is controlla?
Controlla is the present indicative, third-person singular form of the regular -are verb controllare (“to check,” “to inspect”).
Why is the noun paracadute singular after ogni, and how do you form its plural?
Ogni always takes a singular noun (“each/every”), so here paracadute is singular. Additionally, paracadute is invariable: its plural is also paracadute. To say “the parachutes,” you’d use i paracadute.
What’s the difference between ogni and tutti?
- Ogni = “each” or “every” & always with a singular noun (e.g. ogni giorno).
- Tutti = “all” & always with a plural noun (e.g. tutti i giorni).
Why is con estrema cautela used instead of a single adverb like cautamente?
Italian often expresses manner with con + noun + adjective. While cautamente exists, the idiomatic and more emphatic phrase is con estrema cautela (“with extreme caution”).
Why does estrema come before cautela, rather than after?
Although descriptive adjectives typically follow the noun in Italian, certain adjectives in set expressions or for emphasis precede it. Estrema cautela is one of those fixed collocations.
What role does con estrema cautela play in the sentence?
It’s an adverbial phrase of manner. Con is the preposition, and estrema cautela is its noun phrase object, modifying controlla (“checks how”).
How do you pronounce the double l in controlla, and where is the stress?
The double ll is a geminate (long) /l/: [kon-trol-la]. The stress falls on the second syllable: con-TROL-la.
Where is the stress in paracadute?
Stress is on the fourth syllable: pa-ra-ca-DU-te (phonetic [paraˈkadute]).
What is the feminine form of istruttore, and how do you form their plurals?
- Masculine singular: istruttore → plural istruttori
- Feminine singular: istruttrice → plural istruttrici