Question 1

Why is da used before fare instead of che?

Accepted Answer

This sentence uses a consequence structure. When the subject is the same for both parts of the sentence (the presence was real, the presence caused fear), Italian pairs talmente (or così) with da + an infinitive verb (literally "so real as to make fear"). If you wanted to use che, you would need to conjugate the second verb: era talmente reale che faceva paura a tutti.

Question 2

Is there a difference between using talmente and così in this structure?

Accepted Answer

No, they are completely interchangeable here. You could say era così reale da fare paura, and the meaning remains exactly the same. Talmente can sometimes feel slightly more emphatic, but the grammatical rule is identical.

Question 3

Could I say spaventare tutti instead of fare paura a tutti?

Accepted Answer

Yes, both are perfectly fine and natural. Spaventare means "to scare" and takes a direct object (spaventare tutti). Fare paura means "to cause fear" and requires the preposition a for its indirect object (literally "to make fear to everyone").

Question 4

Does seduta always translate to "séance"?

Accepted Answer

Only in a supernatural context! Seduta literally means a "sitting" or "session." You will commonly hear it used for a therapy session, a university exam block, or a formal meeting (like a seduta del consiglio). Here, it is simply short for seduta spiritica (séance).

Durante la seduta, la presenza era talmente reale da fare paura a tutti.

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