Breakdown of Mi ha assicurato che non mollava il progetto.
non
not
il progetto
project
mi
to me
che
that (conjunction introducing a clause)
Questions & Answers about Mi ha assicurato che non mollava il progetto.
Why is mollava translated as "wouldn't drop" instead of "wasn't dropping"?
In everyday conversational Italian, the imperfect tense (l'imperfetto) is frequently used to express the "future in the past" in reported speech. The person gave an assurance in the past about an action that was still in the future at that time. While English naturally uses "wouldn't" for this, conversational Italian simply uses the imperfect.
What is the formal, strictly grammatical way to express "wouldn't drop" here?
In formal written Italian, you must use the past conditional to express a future in the past. The standard version of this sentence is Mi ha assicurato che non avrebbe mollato il progetto. However, native speakers often swap it for the imperfect (mollava) in everyday speech because it is faster and easier to say.
Is mollare a standard, neutral verb for "to drop"?
It is very common but decidedly informal, similar to "to ditch," "to quit," or "to give up on" in English. Its casual tone perfectly matches the informal grammar choice of using the imperfect tense here. If you were writing a formal report, you would likely use abbandonare (to abandon) along with the past conditional.
If the person receiving the assurance (me) is female, shouldn't the participle change to assicurata?