1. © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.7B.3-1 Punto di partenza You have already learned how to talk about the past, the present, and the future. Now you will learn to talk about the duration and sequence of actions and events.

2. © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.7B.3-2 In Lezione 2B, you learned to use da with the present tense to express the starting point or the duration of an ongoing action or event. Da is equivalent to since or for in similar English expressions. Stiro i suoi vestiti da unora. I have been ironing his clothes for an hour. È da ieri che Maurizia riordina. Maurizia has been tidying up since yesterday.

3. © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.7B.3-3 Passo laspirapolvere per mezzora e finisco. Ill vacuum for half an hour and Ill be finished. Carlo ha abitato in quella casa per sei anni. Carlo lived in that house for six years. Use the preposition per to indicate the duration of an action or event.

4. © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.7B.3-4 To describe how long something lasts, use the verb durare. It is generally used with essere in compound forms. Il film è durato due ore e mezzo. The movie lasted two and a half hours. Quanto durerà questo freddo? How long will this cold weather last?

5. © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.7B.3-5 Durante il film Anna ha parlato al telefonino. During the movie Anna spoke on her cell phone. Non andate sulla terrazza durante il temporale! Dont go onto the terrace during the thunderstorm! Durante corresponds to the English word during.

6. © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.7B.3-6 To express how much time an event or activity takes, use the expressions volerci and metterci. The ci in both expressions is idiomatic and does not change form. Ci vogliono due ore per pulire questa stanza. It takes two hours to clean this room. Ci ho messo tre ore per pulirla, ma finalmente ho finito. I spent three hours cleaning it, but Im finally done..

7. © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.7B.3-7 Ci vogliono tre ore per pulire lappartamento, ma ci vuole un minuto solo per sporcarlo. It takes three hours to clean the apartment, but it only takes a minute to dirty it. Cè voluta mezzora per stirare. Perché ci sono volute due ore per spazzare? It took a half hour to iron. Why did it take two hours to sweep? Volerci refers to, and agrees with, the time required to do something. Use the third person singular or plural forms only, depending on the noun that follows it. Volerci takes essere in compound tenses like the passato prossimo.

8. © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.7B.3-8 Metterci, on the other hand, expresses how long a person spends doing something, so the verb must agree with the person completing the action. Metterci takes avere in compound tenses. Io ci metto unora per fare il bucato. I spend an hour doing the laundry. Ci hanno messo un minuto per riordinare. È ancora un porcile! They spent one minute tidying up. It is still a pigsty!

9. © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.7B.3-9 Finisci le faccende prima di uscire con gli amici. Finish your chores before going out with your friends. Puoi uscire dopo aver finito le faccende. You can go out after finishing your chores. To talk about someone doing one action before another, use prima di + [infinitive]. Use dopo + [past infinitive] to express doing something afterwards. Form the past infinitive with avere or essere + [past participle].

10. © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.7B.3-10 Abbiamo perso troppo tempo in cucina. We wasted too much time in the kitchen. Romeo e Giulietta passano molte ore nel cortile. Romeo and Giulietta spend many hours in the courtyard. Use the verbs passare (to spend), perdere (to waste), and risparmiare (to save) with tempo and other time references.

11. © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.7B.3-11 1. Vendo biscotti (da / per) quattro anni. 2. Siamo state a casa di Maria (prima di / per) due ore. 3. (Ci vogliono / Durano) tre ore per andare a New York in macchina. 4. Non usate il cellulare (da / durante) la lezione! 5. (Ci ho messo / È durata) mezza giornata per memorizzare la poesia. 6. Ho aspettato lautobus (per / da) venti minuti. 7. La lezione (ci mette / dura) cinquanta minuti. 8. Parlano al telefono (da / durante) venti minuti. Scegli la parola o espressione corretta per completare ogni frase.