Learn Italian: Ognuno ha notato che la struttura era così grande che faceva paura. - Everyone noticed that the structure was so big that it was scary.

Ognuno ha notato che la struttura era così grande che faceva paura.

Everyone noticed that the structure was so big that it was scary.

Breakdown of Ognuno ha notato che la struttura era così grande che faceva paura.

Questions & Answers about Ognuno ha notato che la struttura era così grande che faceva paura.

Why use Ognuno here instead of Tutti if they both translate to "Everyone"?

Both mean "everyone," but ognuno emphasizes each individual person in a group (more like "each one"), whereas tutti refers to the group as a whole ("all"). Grammar-wise, remember that ognuno is singular and must take a singular verb (ha notato), while tutti is plural and takes a plural verb (hanno notato).

Why does the sentence use the passato prossimo for ha notato but the imperfetto for era and faceva?

This is a classic example of how Italian mixes past tenses. Ha notato (noticed) is a completed, point-in-time event. However, era (was) and faceva (was making/made) describe the ongoing state of the structure and the continuous feeling it caused at that time. Background descriptions and ongoing states in the past require the imperfetto.

The phrase così grande che introduces a consequence. Why doesn't faceva need to be in the subjunctive?

In Italian, a consecutive clause (a clause showing the result of an action, usually triggered by così ... che) takes the indicative mood when the result is presented as an actual, realized fact. Because the structure actually did scare people, the indicative faceva is correct here.

Why is "it was scary" translated as faceva paura rather than using an adjective like ?