Breakdown of Vogliamo intervistare una proporzione significativa della popolazione.
una
a / an (feminine)
di
of, from
volere
to want
la popolazione
the population
intervistare
to interview
la proporzione
the proportion
significativo
significant
Questions & Answers about Vogliamo intervistare una proporzione significativa della popolazione.
This sentence uses una proporzione as the object. If it were the subject, followed by a plural noun like degli abitanti (of the inhabitants), would the verb be singular or plural?
It can actually be either! In Italian, when a singular fraction, percentage, or collective noun is followed by di + a plural noun, you can use strict grammatical agreement (a singular verb to match una proporzione) or 'concordanza a senso' (a plural verb to match the meaning of the plural noun). Both Una proporzione degli abitanti è stata intervistata and ...sono stati intervistati are correct, but the plural is very common in everyday usage.
Why is the adjective significativa placed after proporzione here?
Descriptive adjectives that give objective, literal, or classifying information almost always follow the noun in Italian. Placing significativa after the noun strictly categorizes the proportion as statistically or measurably significant, which perfectly matches the formal, scientific tone of conducting interviews.
Could we just say di popolazione without combining it with the definite article?
You could, but it changes the nuance. Della popolazione (di + la) refers to the specific population of a given area, which makes the most sense here. Using just di popolazione treats it like a general, uncountable substance (like saying 'a proportion of population'), which sounds a bit unnatural in this context.
Is there a difference between using intervistare and fare un'intervista a?
They mean the same thing, but their grammar differs. Intervistare takes a direct object, which is why we just say intervistare una proporzione. If you use fare un'intervista, you need the preposition a to introduce the indirect object (fare un'intervista a una proporzione). Intervistare is more concise and generally preferred in professional contexts.
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