Breakdown of Voglio che leggiate l'articolo su questa specie.
questa
this (feminine)
leggere
to read
su
on, about
l'articolo
the article (m)
volere
to want
che
that (conjunction introducing a clause)
la specie
the species
Questions & Answers about Voglio che leggiate l'articolo su questa specie.
Why is the verb leggiate and not leggete?
Leggiate is the present subjunctive form of leggere (to read). The phrase voglio che (I want that) expresses a desire, which requires the subjunctive mood in the clause that follows it. For regular -ere verbs, the voi (you plural) ending in the present subjunctive is always -iate.
If the sentence means "I want you to read", why is there no word for "you"?
In Italian, the subject pronoun is usually dropped because the verb ending makes it clear who is doing the action. The -iate ending on leggiate specifically belongs to voi (you plural) in the present subjunctive. If it meant "I want you (singular) to read," the sentence would use the singular form: voglio che tu legga.
Is specie singular or plural here?
It is singular here. The English word "species" ends in an "s" even in the singular, and similarly, the Italian word specie is an invariable noun. This means it doesn't change form between singular (la specie) and plural (le specie). We know it's singular in this sentence because it's paired with the singular adjective questa (this).
Can I use di instead of su to say the article is "about" this species?
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