1. © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.3B.1-1 Punto di partenza You have already learned some descriptive adjectives in Lezione 1B, and in Lezione 3A you learned to use possessive adjectives. Descriptive adjectives generally follow the nouns they modify. Lo studente pigro non studia molto. The lazy student doesnt study a lot. NOUN DESCRIPTIVE ADJECTIVE

2. © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.3B.1-2 Roberto è muscoloso. Roberto is muscular. I bambini sono furbi. The children are sly. Here are more adjectives that you can use to describe people.

3. © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.3B.1-3 To describe a person who is neither alto nor basso, use the phrase di media statura ( of average height ).

4. © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.3B.1-4 You have already learned that adjectives ending in -o have four forms, and those ending in -e have only two forms. Adjectives ending in -ista have three forms: one for all singular nouns, and different forms for masculine plural and feminine plural nouns.

5. © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.3B.1-5 Le donne ottimiste non escono mai con gli uomini pessimisti. Optimistic women never go out with pessimistic men.

6. © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.3B.1-6 Non ho i capelli mossi. I dont have wavy hair. I miei fi gli hanno gli occhi azzurri. My children have blue eyes. To describe the color of a persons eyes or hair, use avere + gli occhi/i capelli + [ adjective ].

7. © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.3B.1-7 The Italian equivalent of the English expression with ( red, blonde, etc. ) hair is dai capelli (rossi, biondi ecc.). Vedi la ragazza dai capelli castani? Do you see the girl with brown hair (the brown-haired girl)?

8. © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.3B.1-8 Position of adjectives Certain adjectives, such as bello, brutto, buono, cattivo, nuovo, vecchio, giovane, grande, and piccolo, often precede the noun. In this position, buono and bello have special forms.

9. © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.3B.1-9 Note that the pattern of singular endings of buono resembles the pattern of the indefinite article, and the pattern of bello resembles that of the definite article.

10. © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.3B.1-10 1. muscoloso ___________ 2. blu ___________ 3. contento ___________ 4. intelligente ___________ 5. piccolo ___________ 6. triste ___________ 7. sportivo ___________ 8. pessimista ___________ muscoloso, muscolosa, muscolosi, muscolose Provide all forms of each adjective.