Breakdown of L'applicazione sembra reattiva, ma c'è un'anomalia.
una
a / an (feminine)
ma
but
c'è
there is / there are
sembrare
to seem
l'applicazione
application
reattivo
responsive
l'anomalia
anomaly / glitch
Questions & Answers about L'applicazione sembra reattiva, ma c'è un'anomalia.
This sentence uses sembra in a personal construction. How can we tell, and how does it affect the adjective reattiva?
We know it is a personal construction because sembra has a specific grammatical subject (l'applicazione). Because it acts as a linking verb here, the adjective following it must agree with the subject in gender and number. Since applicazione is feminine singular, the adjective becomes reattiva. If it were an impersonal construction, the structure would change entirely and require the subjunctive, such as: Sembra che l'applicazione sia reattiva (It seems that the application is responsive).
Could I use pare instead of sembra here?
Doesn't reattiva usually mean 'reactive'? Why does the translation say 'responsive'?
While reattivo does mean 'reactive' (such as in chemical reactions or having quick reflexes), in the modern context of computing and software, it is the standard Italian translation for 'responsive'. A fast, well-functioning app or a dynamically adjusting website is described as reattiva.
Why is there an apostrophe in un'anomalia?
This is a quick reminder of an early rule that is easy to slip up on! Anomalia is a feminine noun starting with a vowel. When the feminine indefinite article una comes before a vowel, it drops its final -a and takes an apostrophe, becoming un'. If the noun were masculine and started with a vowel (like un errore), you would just use un with no apostrophe.
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