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Il cameriere è pronto a piegare il tovagliolo.

Il cameriere è pronto a piegare il tovagliolo.
The waiter is ready to fold the napkin.
From Lesson 273:Adjectives with infinitives (pronto a, felice di)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Il cameriere è pronto a piegare il tovagliolo.

Why do we use a after pronto instead of di?
In Italian, adjectives require specific prepositions before an infinitive verb. Adjectives that describe readiness, willingness, or a physical tendency to do something (like pronto, disposto, or abituato) usually take the preposition a.
Could I use per instead of a here, since "ready for folding" makes sense in English?
No, when pronto is followed directly by an action (an infinitive verb like piegare), you must use a. You only use per after pronto when it is followed by a noun, for example: pronto per il servizio (ready for service).
Does the adjective pronto change if the subject is feminine or plural?
Yes, it must agree with the subject it describes. Even though it is linked to a verb phrase, pronto still modifies il cameriere. If the subject were a waitress, it would be La cameriera è pronta a piegare il tovagliolo.
What happens to the spelling of piegare when it is conjugated in other tenses?
Piegare (to fold) has a hard g sound (like in "go"). To keep this hard sound when conjugating in the present tense, you must add an h whenever the ending starts with i or e. For example, "you fold" becomes tu pieghi.

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